Banzai!
by Urby
Summary: When a racial squabble between Katz and Penguinists escalates into a war, people prepare for the worst. But something deeper is afoot...
1. The Oracle

Before you read, let me warn you there will be references to every other TOS thing I wrote (other than "Just Once?" that was stupidly random silliness, and "Time", the alternate ending to Crimson) in this fic. If you haven't read, read them now so you don't say "Who the hey is (blank)!?" later on.  
**Things you need to have read to understand this chapter:** Crimson  
No, I don't own TOS, Mr. Copyright Police. Now put that gun down before I gets medieval on yer heiny.

* * *

The Head Penguinist observed the table. Many brave souls were seated there. Some would probably die in the upcoming war, but war was like that. He sighed.

"I'm sure you've heard the news," he started. "Now that both the worlds have fused, we're having a bit of a Katz problem."

The Penguinists and the occasional Penguineer nodded.

"They want war. Why, we don't know, but we have no choice. If you'd look at this map, I've marked our forces in blue, and theirs in red." He gestured to a map on the table.

There was an awful lot of red on that map...

"Holy..." a Penguinist gasped. "Are you sure you didn't spill red ink on that thing?"

"Believe it or not, it is our current situation," the Head Penguinist sighed. "However, now that all the Katz have been squashed together, they're having trouble with supplies. We, however, are accustomed to having the occasional Penguineer drop by. A few hundred won't hurt us."

"We can starve them out?" someone at the table offered.

"No," another, a pale blue one interjected. "They're too cunning for that, especially now. They'll put us under siege."

"Exactly," the Head Penguinist growled, slamming a flipper onto the table. "It's like as if they've suddenly multiplied their brains by a factor of ten!"

"Then what do we do?" a squeaky, fearful voice asked.

"We could try settling this, ya know. Peace, love, all that stuff," the Head Penguineer suggested.

"No!" the pale blue one shouted. "They don't understand that! They're thieving bastards, and now they want our heads and steal our lives! We have to fight!"

There was a gloomy silence that hung over the table.

"Thank you, Sam," the Head Penguinist said. "I think that's enough for now. Everyone, I want you to gear up-prepare for the worst. Dismissed."

Everyone filed out quietly, murmuring.

"Wait," the Head Penguinist halted a mauve Penguinist. "You, you know of the oracle, right?"

The purple one nodded. "Name's Violet. You want me to go see her?"

The Head Penguinist nodded.

"What if it's only bad news?" Violet asked carefully.

The Head Penguinist shaded his eyes for a moment, but when he looked up, he glowed with confidence.

"Then we will go down fighting."

* * *

Violet waddled throughout Flanoir, returning any greetings directed to her. It was rare a Penguinist would stop by, and when one did, they were warmly welcomed.

She shuffled over to the inn, found the room, and entered.

"Ehem...Byruu?"

"Wo hey," the half-Katz said boredly, nose in a book. "What is it now, mew?"

"I need to see the oracle," Violet said firmly.

"Pay up," Byruu meowed, holding out a paw lazily. "What's it for?"

"We need to know the outcome of the upcoming war between the Katz and the Penguinists," Violet answered, digging for gald in her pocket.

"Uh-huh," Byruu sighed. "Wait...war?" she asked, looking up from her book.

Violet nodded.

Byruu squinted in thought, and gestured to her. "Come, oracle's this way."

"Aren't you gonna take this?" Violet questioned, holding out a small sack.

"We'll talk money issues later," Byruu said, climbing into a fish pot nearby. "Come into the pot, now, mew."

"I won't fit," Violet said stupidly, wondering how the little halfling fit herself.

"You will, trust me," Byruu's tail peeked out of the pot. "You wanna see the oracle or not, mew?"

Violet shrugged, closed her eyes, and jumped in. She landed in a dark tunnel.

"Ow," she said, stupidly, again.

"Congratsulations," Byruu growled blandly. "Now, then, follow the melodious sound of my voice..."

"Keep talking," Violet called out, feeling in the darkness. She grabbed a hold of Byruu's tail. "Okay, I gotcha."

"It's always the tail, mew!" Byruu mumbled, opening a door. "Here we are."

The tunnel opened up into a wide chamber, illuminated by a few candles. There were books piled up to the ceiling, each carefully marked with a date. At a desk was a cloaked figure, scribbling away at a book much larger than it was.

"Oracle," Byruu addressed the figure. "This Penguinist would like to speak with you."

"Ak weel, Violet isn't it? I've been 'specting yew," the figure took off its hood, revealing an elderly Katz. She leaped agilely from her desk and shuffled over to a stack, searching for a book. "I knew this war would happin. Saw it all long time agoes. Blurry...quite strange. N'rm'lly I see things clear. No matters. Here 'tis."

She pulled out a book, dusted it, and flipped to a page. Violet wondered how she knew what she had wanted to know, but then again, she _was_ an oracle.

"Now, dahling, I sed already it wain't veddy clear to meh, so don't go asking whad it means.

_The beast of blood will rise once more_

_And seek again their hosts_

_The wings and the leader;_

_Two siblings that will never forgive._

_The endangered Golden-Eye_

_Will run free anew_

_Swift, quiet, and dangerous,_

_Like the wind in so many ways._

_A crystal of Cruxis will begin, and end_

_The strife between the two quarrelling races._

That's all," the oracle finished.

Violet pondered the meanings of the prophecies. While the oracle had been reading them, she spoke without her accent, almost trancelike.

"Is zat all?" the oracle questioned.

Violet nodded. "Yes. Thank you."

"Then shoo," the oracle swept them out with a broom.

Byruu lead the way out of the tunnel in silence.

"Uh, here...your payment," Violet held out the bag of gald.

Byruu looked thoughtful. "Nah, mew. Keep it."

Violet blinked in surprise. "You don't want it?"

"Just tell me...do any Penguinists you know about this blonde angel? She has really big, whitish wings," she flapped her arms for emphasis.

Violet looked up to the ceiling, thinking.

"Come with me, and we'll see."

* * *

"Who is this?" the Head Penguinist asked, examining Byruu.

"She's the half-Katz that knows where the oracle is," Violet explained.

"Ah...Cairo, is it?"

"Byruu, mew," Byruu corrected.

"Byruu...we have so much to thank you for. Now, what brings you here?"

Byruu's tail lashed about. "I need to find a blond-haired angel. She's kinda...well, not kinda, mew, flat, used to be the Chosen of Mana."

"Chosen?" the Head Penguinist repeated. "Well, she should be around Iselia. A friend told us she was there not long ago."

"Great!" Byruu burst, leaping up and down. A few Penguinists nearly jumped out of their suits at the noise. She recovered quickly and assumed a calmer posture. "Next favor, mew. Can you take me there?"

"Yes, of course," the Head Penguinist nodded. "I think one of our warriors was heading there to get all our supplies there so that the Katz don't get to it. Those sneaky, thieving bastards...oh, pardon," the Head Penguinist said quickly, remembering Byruu was still around.

"Oh, say whatever you want about them," Byruu waved airily. "I'm not one of them, so I'm not offended, mew."

"Good. Oh, here she is now," the Head Penguinist looked up to see the pale blue Penguinist ready to leave. "Sam...Sam, come here a moment."

The pale blue one turned. "Oh, boss!" the Penguinist waddled over. "What is it?"

"Sam, this is Byruu," the Head Penguinist gestured. "She needs to get to Iselia."

"Hey there, Byruu," Sam knelt and shook her hand. Byruu liked her immediately.

"I hear about you sometimes. Is it true you know the oracle?"

Byruu nodded modestly.

"That's really cool!" Sam smiled. "Are you ready to go?"

Byruu nodded, her tail swishing.

"Alright then, let's go." Sam waddled down the hall, turned a corner, and opened a door. "After you."

"This isn't Iselia," Byruu snorted, walking in. "It's just a dark room."

Sam closed the door behind her.

"Now it's an impossibly dark room, mew."

Sam pulled a lever and the floor vanished from underneath them.

"Meeeeooooow!" Byruu screamed.

"Wheeeeeeeeee!" Sam cheered.

"Whee?" Byruu wondered. "Oh well. Meeeeooooow!"

They landed on a hard floor with a _thunk_.

"Here we are," Sam opened a trapdoor above them. "Iselia!"

Byruu gasped. Being a city Katz, she'd never seen the country before.

"It's so...empty," she said in awe. "In a good way."

"That's nice. Anyway, do what you like; I'll be gone for a while." Sam waddled away.

Byruu nodded and realized that what she was looking for was in Iselia, but she didn't know _where_. And they had said "she was there not long ago", so she might even be gone.

Byruu kicked at and missed a rock. "Darn. Darn darn darn darn darn darn darn."

She, out of boredom, kept saying "darn" to random tunes she'd picked up somewhere, kicking rocks and peeking into people's windows to see if Colette was there.

She passed by one with delicious smells wafting from it and remembered that she hadn't eaten anything that morning.

_Ah well, I'll just nip in, grab some vittles and be on my way..._

She leapt in through an open window, crawled into the kitchen, hung over the pie for dramatic effect...

And was tacklepounced by beige blur.

"Byruu!" a familiar voice squealed.


	2. Mmm, cherries

**Things you need to have read to understand this chapter:** Crimson

**Really lazy disclaimer of _Doom_:  
**I own nothing.  
(Told you it was lazy)

Wow...rating jump from G to PG-13, in one chapter, with one, two word line. Beat my own record!

And to Green Magicite, no, I haven't forgotten "the pink Penguinists who patrol Katz Isle". These Penguinists are called "Penguiners" (whoops, I called them Penguineers in my fist chappie o.O must fix, I should. But alas, I am far too lazy) and are more of a tie-die color. I've given them a kinda "world-hopper" occupation, since their drop items are Palma Potions and Mizuho Potions (two different worlds, what the hey??) you think I didn't do my research? Me, the person who looks up stuff in the book to point at things and go "Let's write about that!" Shame on thee. They have a kinda hippie attitude, as the Head Penguiner demonstrates, but not all of them are like that, you'll see. :3

* * *

"Waaagh!" Byruu yelped, trying to untangle herself from the beige thing that just tackled her.

"I didn't know you'd come all the way here," the thing beamed, holding the little half-Katz up. Byruu wagged her tail happily.

"Wo hey, Colette! Lookin' smexxy!" Byruu winked. ((Visual aid alert. Go to my site pronto.))

Colette smiled shyly, blushing slightly. Her hair was arranged on her head in a playful mess, so she must have been sleeping not long ago.

"Oh, Byruu, so much has happened while you were gone," Colette twirled around the room, glowing. "You'll never guess!"

Byruu wondered off-handedly what would make Colette so...bouncy, but it was better than being constantly slashed up, like the last time she saw her.

"Got a new puppy, mew?" Byruu shrugged.

"No, but I should," Colette flopped herself on the couch and hugged a pillow to her chest.

"Got laid?" Byruu tried next, going out on a limb.

Colette flushed a deep shade of scarlet and threw the pillow at Byruu. "Where did that come from?" she nearly screamed.

Byruu dodged nimbly. "Well, if you don't tell me, then I won't know, mew!"

Colette shuffled so that her back faced Byruu. There was a small metallic jingling as she moved. Byruu, being a half-Katz, therefore being part Katz, therefore being catlike, therefore instinctively fond of jingling objects, bounded over to see.

"Nice necklace," Byruu remarked, fiddling with a silver chain.

"Thank you," Colette smiled and purred.

Byruu wondered off-handedly again how a human could purr, but then again, Colette wasn't a human anymore. "Where'd you get it?" she examined the links that made the chain.

Colette wore an "I'm-not-telling" look on her face.

Byruu sat on the kitchen counter and tried to think. She'd seen a necklace like that before...where? Curse short-term cat memory!

After much thinking and losing her train of thought (Byruu: Think, think...yum, pie flavored pies...where the hey did that come from?) Byruu suddenly had an idea.

"It's an _engagement_ necklace!" she squealed, pointing. "I knew it, mew!" she bounded around the room, happy she remembered.

"Good for you!" Colette handed her a slice of pie. "Take some, even though you might not deserve it."

Byruu sank her teeth into it, relishing the flavor. Yum, cherry. "Who's it from?" Byruu said around her piece.

"Who else?" Colette smiled around hers.

Byruu's tail wagged as she swallowed her mouthful. "So...that would make you Mrs. Irving, then, mew?"

"Oh, I haven't decided on the name, really," Colette admitted. "I've thought about it and I really don't know."

Byruu couldn't help but chuckle. Trust Colette to get all wrapped up in a name, trying to decide which sounded best.

"What?" Colette pouted playfully. "I have to think about these things, you know!"

"Naughtin'," Byruu laughed mischievously. "Where's the bloke got to, anymew?"

The angel's eyes fell to the ground and she heaved a sigh.

"He's away at the moment. Turns out there's this new Exsphere factory that started up, so he went to go shut it down."

"You didn't go with him?" Byruu asked a bit dryly.

Colette snapped her wings, a somewhat equivalent to a person clenching their fists. "He told me to. I wanted to go, but he told be to stay here. So I did." She shook her head softly, clearing it. "So, what motivates your exalted self to haul your lazy tail over here, other than the pie?"

Byruu used her tail to scratch her head as she scratched her chin with one hand and held her plate with the other.

"Do you still have your Cruxis Crystal?"

Colette's hand went up to it. "Yeah...ever since I became a full angel, we're afraid to take it off," she sighed, flapping her wings. "Why?"

Byruu cleared her throat and scoffed the rest of her pie. "Y'see, Katz and Penguinists never really got along, you know. Somehow, the Katz declared war on the Penguinists, mew. There's this one Penguinist, she asked me to take her to the oracle. So I do, she starts saying all this mumbo jumbo about Beasts of Blood, golden eyes and wings and mew, but there's this one thing she said that really bugged me. She said it-like this: 'A crystal of Cruxis will begin, and end, the strife between the two quarrelling races.' I thought it might have to do with you, you know."

Colette looked down at her hands. "Why would I start a war? Heck, I never knew about Katz and Penguinists hating each other until now. I'm no longer the Chosen...there's nothing special about me anymore."

Byruu snorted. "Hello? Cruxis Crystal? Angel strength? Angel senses? Angel _wings_, for crying out loud? You're worth fighting a whole war over. That and your good looks, can't forget those," she nudged Colette in the side, winking.

Colette twigged. "But seriously, Byruu, I'm nothing amazing anymore. I might still have my Cruxis Crystal, but it's been...well, you could say...toned down a bit. I could live the life of a normal person if it weren't for these," she flapped her wings, blowing some air to ruffle Byruu's hair.

"Now, on to a more cheery subject," Byruu leaped onto the kitchen counter. "Who made that pie? I'd fight a war over that."

"Surprisingly, I did," Colette put the dishes away in the sink. "Funny, though, when I was being trained to be the Chosen, I was never allowed to cook, they were afraid I might burn or hurt myself. Now I get this funny little cat-child saying she'd kill for some of my cooking."

"I am not funny, mew, and I ain't a child neither," Byruu growled.

* * *

Sam waddled along, a bit angry she couldn't go any faster. That and she hadn't brought any weapons; if a Katz jumped out she'd be completely defenseless. But, she thought with a chuckle, maybe her reputation as a warrior would be weapon enough.

She reached the food stores eventually, opening a well-hidden manhole in the ground and sliding down a slope, because Penguinists simply cannot climb ladders.

She toddled over to the place where the food was hidden, hearing faintly detectable munching noises.

"Aha!" she shouted, turning on a light. "Gotcha!"

What she saw was the last thing she expected. Standing there was a pitifully thin, rusty red, half Katz, half Penguinist. It had a Penguinist's face and body, but the ears, tail, arms, and legs of a Katz.

It squealed and dropped the food it had gathered.

Something about it made Sam feel sorry for the thing. She knew about these so-called "Katzinists", a product of arrogant human experimentation, as no Katz or Penguinist would ever get along, much less bear offspring.

"Please don't hurt me!" it squeaked in a childly feminine voice, throwing up her arms for protection. "I didn't know this stuff was yours!"

"I won't," Sam said quietly. "Would you like to help me?"

The Katzinist blinked in surprise. "Do what?"

"You see," Sam began, holding out a webbed foot. "I'm a Penguinist, so I can't walk very well. I need to move all this food to a safer place, but I'll have to do multiple trips then. With your help, it'll go faster."

The little one beamed and nodded. "Where to?"

"Oh, it's not far," Sam started loading a sack with some food. "And there's better chow over there. I'll get the cook to let you have some...what's your name?"

"Sixty-three!" was the answer.

"Sixty-three? That's not a name," Sam scoffed.

"It's the one they gave me," the little one said stubbornly.

"Well, you need a different name," Sam thought aloud. "How ?"

"Okay," the Katzinist shrugged.

Sam didn't bother to ask who "they" were, not caring about human experimentation projects.

"I'm sure the Head Penguinist would take you in," she said as much to herself as to Ruby. "You're the same color as one of his chicks was."

"Hoorah," Ruby said from under the bag she was carrying on her back, her tail wagging happily.

* * *

"How long has Lloyd been gone?" Byruu inquired, chewing on a cherry.

"On the edge of too long," Colette answered in a faint growl, looking out a window.

"Go after him," Byruu urged, reaching for Colette's currently unattended piece of pie. "And wipe your face; you've got cherry filling all over it, mew."

"Oh," Colette licked some off but seemed too occupied with other thoughts to finish.

Byruu took the plate to the other side of the room, hoping she wouldn't notice right away that she'd taken her slice hostage. There was another window, which she stared out of while gobbling Colette's portion.

"Wo hey," she said blandly, pointing outside. "Someone's coming along." She couldn't really make it out, but she wasn't paying much attention anyway.

"Really now?" Colette sighed wearily, standing beside her. Her expression immediately changed as soon as she saw who it was.

She clicked the window open and flew out of it, screaming happily. Byruu had half a mind to go stop her, but she knew she couldn't stop the beige blur from being reunited with her prince in red.

There was a muffled yell when Colette slammed into him. Byruu leaped out the window, going to check to see if they had or hadn't gotten hurt.

No, it turned out, they were both completely fine, Colette snuggling Lloyd gently and hugging him tightly, wings cupped around him protectively.

"Yeah, I missed you too," he said softly, playing with her hair. "Your face is a mess! What is that stuff?" he indicated the cherry filling around her mouth.

"This?" she grinned roguishly. "It's blood!" she stuck her tongue out teasingly.

"Whaagh, Crimson's gotten into you again!" Lloyd laughed, sitting up and arranging her on his lap. "Seriously though, what is it?"

Colette leaned a bit closer to him and ran a hand over his face.

"Why don't you...have a taste and find out?"

**The following kissing scene has been cut out by the Thoughtful Colloyds Anonymous. (We're thoughtful, we're Colloyds, and, uh...we're anonymous!) Just in case there any Shelloyd people reading this, we have left this bit out. Thanks for bearing with us, those who aren't Shelloyds, and enjoy the rest of the chappie.**

**That, and Urby simply cannot write kissing scenes, I mean, just look at the one in Crimson.**

"Hey. Heard that," Urby growled at the voice in bold and underlined text.

**And now for a convenient scene change to the Katz.

* * *

**

Dragon paced, tail lashing, threatening to knock over a few fragile objects and some of his fellow Katz if they were close enough.

"Where **is** it, meow?" he barked. (Ha, he barks, but he meows...I crack myself up) "Why haven't you found it yet?"

"Dragon, sire," a Katz, whimpering in a corner, answered. "We've only a few vague clues in the books about 'The Weapon', and we're too busy fighting the Penguinists to spare many Katz to look for it, meow."

"If we found the damn thing, we wouldn't **have** to fight anymore! We'll..._train_ it. Then, after we dispose of the Penguinists, we can move on to more important things. Meow."

The Katz currently present didn't really like the way Dragon said "train" and "more important things", but said nothing.

"Keep searching!" he roared, scattering the Katz in the room, smirking at how fast they fled. He lounged on his currently unadorned throne, purring. It would be, one day...with the pelts of those ridiculous Penguinists. However...there was one he'd treasure in particular. The one of "The Cobalt Blur"...or "Sam", as others knew her. She had slain so many of his favorite fighters...oh well, they were just disposables anyway. He grinned an evil grin, relishing the thought of running her through with some weapon. A sword? Naw, too predictable, not original. It would ruin her pelt.

He balanced a dagger on his finger, musing. After he got rid of the Penguinists, he'd go after those stupid humans that were his allies. More like people to steal off of, he thought. They'd been so kind to provide his forces with Exspheres. Perhaps he could persuade them to help him look for The Weapon.

A laugh bubbled up from his chest-a cruel, maniacal laugh. He knew better then to try to keep it contained, and besides, it was a reminder to his Katz he was in charge. He snickered when he heard a few shudder.

_This is one of my better plans,_ he mused, tail wagging viciously.


	3. Shadow Returns?

**Things you need to have read to understand this chapter (now with reasons, so you dun go "But whyyyyyy?"):** Crimson (general background), In the Shadows (About Shadow), and, if you want, Time (if you want to know a bit more about Azure and Garnet)

**Really lazy disclaimer of _Doom_:  
**Ph33r my lack of ownership.  
(Told you it was lazy)

* * *

"Is that all?" Ruby panted, tail swishing.

Sam brushed some dust off her suit. "Yeah, I think so." She was amazed at how much the little Katzinist could carry, but hey, appearances were deceiving.

"What's the Head Penguinist like?" Ruby asked, scratching an ear.

"Huh," Sam began. "He's a good leader, but I think the war is kinda making him nervous. He's lead us well so far. I'll follow him, even to my last battle."

"You must look up to him," Ruby licked a tooth/fang/thing.

"Well, without him, we'd be just a bunch of silly little people in penguin suits running around throwing snowballs at each other and being killed by the Katz."

Ruby's ears dropped and her eyes widened questioningly. "Katz...kill?"

"You haven't heard?" Sam flexed a flipper. "War?"

Ruby shook her head.

"Katz? Penguinists?"

Ruby shook her head. (Hoorah, copy and paste!)

"Doesn't sound familiar to you?"

Ruby's head still shook.

"..."

Ruby continued to shake her head.

Sam sweatdropped. "Are you done?"

Ruby rattled her head frantically to clear it and blinked. "Sorry...what was that about?"

* * *

Azure poked the sleeping black and grey shape.

"Roll over," she commanded.

The shape remained put.

"Speak," Azure tried next.

The shape's tail twitched, but otherwise did not move or do anything.

"Do something!" Azure sighed, exasperated. "Lay down!"

The shape yawned, blinked, and fell back asleep.

"Good girl," Azure patted it on the head.

"What are you doing?" Garnet asked, looking up from her studies.

"I'm trying to teach this thing tricks," Azure indicated the Chimaeracore kitten.

"Cats don't _do_ tricks," Garnet said flatly.

"Well, I'm trying to get it to do something," Azure played with its tail. "I mean, all it does is eat and sleep, and now it eats like a horse."

"It even _ate_ a horse, from what I've heard," Garnet returned to her studies.

"Now for your next trick," Azure knelt to eye level with the creature. "Be exciting!" she ordered, waving her hands about.

Shadow growled, not impressed at being woken up for the sillyith time, and raked her claws over Azure's face.

* * *

Byruu hopped off, in a good mood, pie tends to do that.

"Sam?" she called out, wondering where the Penguinist went.

"Here I am," Sam responded, waddling over to the half-Katz' voice.

"Who's she, mew?" Byruu pointed at Ruby.

"I'm Sixty-Three...uh, Ruby," she replied.

"Sixty-Three? That's not a name," Byruu snorted.

"It was mine," Ruby said with a certain amount of pride.

"Well, it ain't anymore, mew, so don't be so uptight about it," Byruu's tail curled into a knot, and undid itself.

"Well...it's a name, right? It's special, they don't really grow on trees, ya know."

"Whatever you say," Byruu shrugged. "Can I go home now?"

"Ah yes, we wouldn't want to leave you in the country, now, you're such a city bumpkin."

"Hey. I just wanna go home, be in my room, and be in familiar surroundings again. Break things. Scream like a madcat. Steal from the kitchens. You know, the usual. Mew."

* * *

Dragon was interrupted from his rest by a small beeping from a corner. He yawned and stretched.

He hadn't realized he'd drifted off to sleep. As he slinked over to the remote, he thought, hey, it's tiring being evil.

"What is it, meow?" he roared into the remote.

"Dragon," the voice on the other end responded coolly. "Is everything alright in your camp?"

"Yes, everything's **_swell_**," he hissed.

"Did I call at a bad time?" the human asked calmly in that oh-so-superior tone. Dragon hated that. He hated how the humans treated him...like a dumb beast. Well, it was hard to be taken seriously when you're walking around in a cat suit and said "meow" every couple of sentences.

"No," he seethed, tail lashing. "Speak your piece."

"We have lost something of great importance to us. We need you to help us find it."

Dragon spat. (Not into the remote, of course) "Me? Help you find something that's yours? Whadda you take me for, meow?"

"We have heard that you are looking for something as well, Dragon," the voice continued. "Find ours, we find yours. Simple."

Dragon blinked, shocked speechless. "How did you-"

"Is that a deal, Dragon?" the voice cut him off.

Dragon's tail lashed, deep in thought.

Oh, how he hated those humans.


	4. Fly Away

**Things you need to have read to understand this chapter:** Crimson (general background), In the Shadows (again, general background)

**Really lazy disclaimer of _Doom_:  
**No own ToS I do.  
(Told you it was lazy)  
And I dun own Phantom Brave either, but it doesn't show up here. I'm just clarifying, since I talk about it a lot.

* * *

Shadow paced around the campus, trying to lose herself in the many halls. The only problem with that is that she'd done that so many times she'd memorized all the passages.

She sighed, sitting on one of the statues that stood in the courtyard. How boring it was to be here.

_It must have been kinda like when Colette was in that soul room,_ she thought while batting at some dust particles in the air. _It's just I'm not lonely. There's plenty of people here to annoy and all are willing to make me a lap to sit in. I'm just impossibly bored. There's nothing to do, nothing to think about I haven't thought about already. Being a cat is fun, no responsibilities, but I wish I could go and be in danger one more time, get the blood flowing. But no, I'm sitting here, getting fat. If I wasn't so cute there'd be jokes about my belly._

Shadow clawed at the statue's head, which she was currently sitting on. Nothing to do, but she couldn't leave this place. She hated to admit it, but she depended on the people here.

"Shadow? Shadow, where are you?"

_It must be one of my caretakers. Can't they see I'm brooding and being bored here?_

Shadow heaved another sigh and leaped down, flapping her wings for balance.

"Hello there, Shadow," the red-haired one said, kneeling. "You lazy bum, where've you been?"

_Places. Where else?_

"Will you do me a favor?" she sighed, petting Shadow's head. "I think Azure's kinda down, and you know how cats make people feel better, right? Will you go and cheer her up a bit?"

Shadow slinked off to where their room was. That girl might annoy her by trying to get her to do tricks, but she was a good person at heart. She meowed into the room, announcing her presence.

"Heya, kitty," Azure got out her food bowl. "Lemme guess...you're hungry."

The food did look appetizing, and Shadow was hungry, but that wasn't what she was here for.

Azure sat down on the ground, watching her. "What's wrong? Not hungry?"

In response Shadow climbed onto her lap and purred reassuringly.

"Silly, pretty kitty," Azure sighed, petting her. "And a pretty silly kitty."

Shadow looked up at her, mewling.

"Do you ever have those days when you just feel really lousy?" Azure said distantly, scratching at Shadow's favorite spots.

_Every day here is lousy. You're at a university! You live at a school, food's not that good (for humans anyway) and you study your arse off._

Azure sighed. "I must be nuts. I'm asking a cat things I should be asking a human. And all you do is sleep anyway."

_Hey. I used to be human. And I sleep because there's nothing else to do._

Azure sighed again and looked into Shadow's eyes, as if she'd find something there.

"You're not a normal cat, are you?" she frowned.

Shadow twitched her whiskers nervously. Could it be she had guessed?

"Oh course you aren't," Azure chuckled. "You'se a Chimaeracore. My widdle wild monster kitty, who won't do any tricks." She gave the kitten a little noogie.

Shadow let out a little sigh, enduring the humiliation. She was afraid that Azure had found out about her.

"But seriously...you're no ordinary kitty," Azure frowned again. "I don't know how, but..."

She placed Shadow on the floor, deep in thought. Shadow, taking advantage that the girl was busy thinking, wolfed down the food in her bowl.

"You don't act like a cat," Azure mused. "Cats have too much pride. And..." she held her breath.

Shadow looked up.

"You _like_ baths!" Azure waved her hands like a madman.

_Hey. I don't want to do the whole tongue thing. So bath it is._

She picked her up, looking for that something in her eyes again. "Will you do one last trick for me? Last one, I promise."

_As long as it's not humiliating and it's the last one._

Azure walked over to the window and held her out.

"Fly away, kitty. Fly away."

* * *

"So, mew, I sorta get how we got here, but how do we get back?" Byruu meowed.

"You'll see," Sam pulled the door open. "After you."

"What's this?" Ruby wondered, getting into the room. "It's really dark."

"Oh dear," Byruu groaned. "It's the 'dark-room-before-the-floor-vanishes-room', right?"

"No...the floor can't vanish. We fell here, we can't fall back. We have to rise, see," Sam explained, pulling a lever. A dim light went on.

"Oh no," Byruu groaned again as the floor shook. "Nonononononononono...please, _PLEASE_ don't be what I think it'll be, mew..." she was on her knees, begging to some god.

"Be what?" Ruby asked. She was about to say something else but the floor suddenly started to lurch upwards, slamming the trio on to the floor.

"Oh, woe," Byruu sobbed.

Somewhere out there Genis yelled, "Hey! That's my line!"

After several traumatizing minutes (to Byruu, at least) they arrived back at the Flanoir region. Sam opened the door and the two part-Katz tumbled out.

"I think I'm gonna hurl," Byruu whimpered.

"Please don't," Ruby said softly, being under her.

"Yes, I don't think the janitors would be too pleased in having to clean up after you," Sam cautioned, waving a flipper in what would have been the equivalent to someone shaking their finger at someone, but Penguinists don't have fingers or digits, so, uh, yeah.

"Saaaaaaam!" a Penguinist voice, female, called out. "Sam, Sam, come quickly!"

"What is it?" Sam called back, going toward the sound.

A purple Penguinist leaned against the wall, panting.

"You're needed at front. Katz are attacking!"

* * *

Dragon's tail lashed, indicating either he was thinking or pleased with something.

"Sire," one of his lieutenants said. Even thought it wasn't phrased as a question, it was one. "Why are we attacking the Penguinists here? It would be more advantageous to fight in a warmer area, meow."

"Are you questioning me, Auburn?" Dragon hissed, tail whipping threateningly close to the other Katz' body.

"No," Auburn backed away from the tail that earned Dragon his name. "You came here for a reason. You hate the cold."

"That reason I will keep to myself, meow," Dragon growled. "Where's our sabotage crew?"

"Over there," Auburn pointed, indicating a few lanky Katz sneaking into the ice mountain that served as the Penguinist's fort. "What are you planning to do with them?"

"Why don't you sit and wait like a good Katz and find out when the others do?" Dragon leaned very close to his face and nearly spat every word.

"Yes, sire," Auburn gulped.

* * *

"What's going on?" Ruby said dumbly after Sam and the purple Penguinist had left.

Byruu looked around for something that looked like a fish or bird pot. "I dunno. I'm just as clueless as you are, mew."

"What'cha lookin' for?" Ruby chewed on a claw.

"A way home," Byruu answered, peering into a pot that looked vaguely like a fish. "Darnit! This one's not fish enough, mew."

"Where do you live?" Ruby asked, as the other part-Katz looked like someone she'd like to know.

"The inn. At Flanoir. The world, the galaxy, the universe. Mew."

"You live in an inn? I thought inns were temporary houses."

"Pshaw. I'm an exception."

Ruby followed Byruu on her quest to find an appropriately-shaped pot or jar.

"No...no...almost...not quite...gah, I'm gonna be stuck here _forever_, mew!" she pulled her ears over her head and groaned.

"I'm sure it's not that bad," Ruby smiled.

"Well, just a tad bit nippy, I'd say," Byruu agreed. "If Sam's right, the food's good. But I'd like to go to my home and be somewhere I recognize."

"You must like your home very much," Ruby nodded.

"Of course," Byruu turned to her companion. "It's a place to hide when you're sad, to share with those in need...it's home."

"Lucky," Ruby frowned, crossing her arms.

"Why would that be, mew?"

"You have a home that you like. I used to be somewhere where people didn't care about me. Yeah, they made sure I was alive, but they didn't do anything else. I was really lonely," Ruby explained.

"Huh," Byruu thought aloud. She hadn't really thought of anyone being treated like that, growing up alone. "Well, that's all fine and dandy, but it doesn't change the fact I still need to get home."

* * *

Lloyd yawned and stretched, wondering what time it was.

He nuzzled Colette, trying to get her to wake up. She eventually did, yawned, frowned a bit,and curled back up again.

"Tired?" Lloyd asked.

"Feel sick," Colette answered, voice muffled.

"Do you want me to get you something to eat?" he worried, running a hand over her wings, something she found soothing.

"No. Won't keep down, I think," Colette grumbled.

"I'll be in the kitchen, be right back, okay?"

Colette flapped her wings in an "alright" way.

Lloyd dressed quickly and made his way to the kitchen to grab something to eat and noticed some movement at the corner of his eye.

A fuzzy, dirty shape was poking around the living room, flipping through a scrapbook with its nose and nibbling on a few pages.

"Don't touch thaaaat!" he yelled at it, grabbing the book.

The thing, whatever it was, stared at Lloyd for a few seconds, trying to decide whether or not it was in any danger.

"Shoo!" Lloyd gently pushed it with a hand.

The whatever-it-was dashed off into the house, frightened. It turned a corner and hid itself in the bedroom.

"Colette!" Lloyd panted, poking in. "There's something...in the house...don't know what it is."

"I know," she said softly. "It's right here."

The whachamacallit was on the bed, whimpering softly.

"It's a dog, see?" Colette smiled, petting it.

"I couldn't tell," Lloyd sighed, seating himself on it. (the bed, fool.) "It's so muddy and scruffy I thought it was a monster."

"It's a dog," Colette repeated, beaming as it barked and wagged its tail.

"It needs a bath," Lloyd sighed.

Colette scratched at some trademark dog-scratching spots but stopped at the canine's belly.

"Puppies!" she squealed.

* * *

"Aha!" Byruu cried triumphantly, climbing into a bird jar. "I can go home now."

"I thought you lived in an inn," Ruby said dumbly, tipping her head.

"Yes, but this is my way home, mew," Byruu clarified. "Don't ask."

"Come back soon?" Ruby said hopefully.

"I dunno. This place is a bit too cold for my tastes. You should be fine-you're part Penguinist."

In a puff of mana "smoke" the half-Katz was gone.

Ruby peered down the jar, but there was no trace of Byruu, not even a hair.

"She vanished!" she exclaimed, scratching her head in amazement.

"Heh, and so will you, meow," a voice cackled.

The next thing Ruby knew, an all-too-sweet smelling rag was shoved over her nose and all was dark.

* * *

"There's too many of them," Sam panted, batting away a Katz with a fishing spear, the weapon she had picked up before charging outside.

"I know," her companion, Raptor, sighed, kicking a corpse aside. "For every one, there's a zillion more or something."

"We won't last much longer at this rate..." Sam gasped, kneeling to rest.

"You think?" Raptor spat.

"I don't think so, doods!" a voice yelled.

A small, round, pebble-like object landed among the crowd of Katz charging at the two Penguinists and their comrades. It exploded when it landed, disrupting the group.

"Up, up, and away, you filthy Katz!" the Head Penguiner yelled. "Myn, you know what to do!"

"Yes, sir!" a female Penguiner saluted, stepping in front of the small militia of her kind. "First row, load slings!"

A few, well, think around ten, Penguiners placed some of the pebble things on their slings.

"Now loose!"

The row of Penguiners threw the bomb things, scattering many Katz.

"Second row!"

More bomb-pebbles, more kaboom. ((I'm so descriptive heehee.))

"Yummy, fireworks," Raptor grinned.

* * *

"Sire," Auburn shouted over the explosions, "We have to retreat! We're losing too many troops!"

"No!" Dragon roared, covering his ears to shelter them from the din. "Not yet!"

"Yet, meow!?" Auburn shrieked."If not now, when?"

"When the sabotage team comes back," Dragon hissed.

"You called, sire?" a mud-brown Katz piped.

"Ah, faster than I thought, meow," Dragon wagged his tail in approval. "Do you have it?"

The brown Katz held up a bag.

"Alright. Call the troops back, Auburn."


	5. Anger Management

**Things you need to have read to understand this chapter:** Crimson (general background), In the Shadows (again, general background) Time (optional, to see some connections)

Keep in mind Time and Banzai! both take place five years after the end of the game, they're just both different possibilities.

**Really lazy disclaimer of _Doom_:  
**I don't own ToS heehee.  
(Wonder why I laugh...)

**SPOILER ALERT!  
**If you don't know what Lloyd becomes at the end of the game, refrain from reading until you do. Too bad.

* * *

Ruby woke slowly, feeling light-headed.

"Sixty-three, is it?" a Katz voice hissed.

"My name is Ruby," she said, rubbing the back of her head.

"Well, that's odd. We were informed your name was Sixty-three by your creators."

"Ruby," Ruby repeated stubbornly. "That's my name."

"What_ever_," the other speaker hacked. "Well, anyway, enjoy your stay here, meow, you won't be here long."

"You'll let me free?" Ruby asked hopefully.

A bit of silence.

"Maybe," the tone was sarcastic and cold.

* * *

Lloyd knocked on the door, waiting.

"Whatever it is you're selling, I don't want it!" Raine's voice shouted from the inside.

"Professor, it's me!" he called out. "Open up!"

"Oh," Raine opened the door, staying behind it, poking her head out. "Thank goodness you aren't one of those salesmen people...they're everywhere, I tell you!" she gestured vaguely.

"Err...sorry about that," Lloyd said nervously, not sure what else to say.

"Don't stand out there, come in," she said, stepping aside.

Lloyd did as told, sitting down on the floor, as one of the chairs was occupied by a white tom, the other was claimed by a rather chatty bird, and he left the last one for Raine.

"Out," Raine patted the cat out of the chair.

The tom opened an eye, meowed in an annoyed way, and slinked off. Lloyd nodded at it for thanks, realizing that it must have liked the chair, and settled himself on it.

"Alright," Raine began, seating herself. "What brings you here? I doubt you'd fly all the way here just to say hello."

Lloyd scratched the back of his head, sighing. "It's Colette...she's molting, and she's never done that before."

Raine raised an eyebrow. "Molting?"

"Yeah," he held up two feathers. The first was one of Colette's original feathers, a light dusty grey. The other was one of her newer ones, a soft cream color. "She's grown back any lost feathers, but she's never molted before."

"Huh." Raine took them and fiddled with them, studying their texture.

By now the cat had returned, meowing loudly for Lloyd to get out of 'his' chair.

"Go _outside_," Raine gently plopped the tom out the window.

The bird squawked in what sounded uncannily like human laughter.

"Alright, back to these," Raine mumbled, focusing her attention back on the feathers.

Lloyd looked around the room, trying desperately not to whistle out of boredom.

The white cat had somehow gotten into the house again and was now wailing, batting at Lloyd's pant leg.

Raine, as fed up as the cat with the cat, picked it up and threw it out the window.

"Stay outside, you lazy good-for-nothing!" she yelled after it.

Some sounds of yowling, breaking pottery, and snapped branches.

The bird laughed again.

"You're next," Raine threatened.

The bird clicked his beak shut and did no more.

"Alright, Lloyd," she sighed, pointing at him with one of the feathers. "Will you be perfectly honest with me for the next few minutes?"

He nodded, not sure what he was getting into.

"You know how snakes shed when they get too big for their skins, right?"

Lloyd nodded.

"Long ago, people believed that the snake shed to get rid of anything that...tainted it. By casting its old skin aside, it purified itself."

Lloyd stifled a yawn, wondering how this would connect with Colette's molting.

"Angels work in the same way," Raine continued. "Molting helps them purge any impurities...spiritually, at least."

She pointed at him with the feather again, almost accusingly. "So...have you two...been up to things?"

Lloyd started. "Uh..."

"Thought so," Raine fiddled with the feathers again.

"But how come I don't molt?" he flapped his wings, irritated.

"Your wings are made of energy," Raine explained, running a hand through her hair. "Sure, you do have feathers, but your wings work in a different way, see."

The bird plucked one from Lloyd, shrieking in that almost-laughing way when he yelped.

"Alright," Raine smoothed some kinks in one of the feathers. "Can I keep these?"

"Sure," Lloyd shrugged, wanting to keep her in a good mood.

Raine chuckled in a way Lloyd really couldn't identify; the bird ruffled his feathers in an uneasy way.

"Uh...see ya," Lloyd wave nervously, flying away.

A moment later a rather ticked ball of mud, fur, and sticks stomped stiff-leggedly into the room, growling incoherently.

"I still don't know why you had to give him _my_ chair," he spat, leaping on to his chair, his scowl daring anyone to try and get him off it.

"Because then she'd have to give him mine," the bird cawlaughed.

"You need anger management lessons," the cat tried to claw off some gunk off his coat.

* * *

"Good work, Sam," the Head Penguinist patted her on the back. "And you too, Raptor," he turned to her, chuckling as she went ga-ga over an explanation of how the bomb-pebbles worked.

"I thought you hippie types were non-violent," Raptor asked the Head Penguiner.

"Ah, that," the Head Penguiner nodded in that kind of slow, understanding way. "Well, there's a time for peace, and a time for bombs. And this-ah, is a time for bombs. We speak in the language the Katz are using."

"I see."

"Yeah...even a peace train has gotta stop, kiddo...but only to pick up new passengers."

"So...you're using violence to promote peace?" Raptor scratched her head.

"Oh, boss," Sam smiled, walking over to the Head Penguinist. "While I was out, I found someone stealing some of our food."

"Oh dear," the Head Penguinist frowned.

"No, she's friendly," Sam waved a flipper nonchalantly. "Helped me get everything in. Carried some of the big boxes by herself."

"Wow."

"I know, cool, isn't it? She should be inside..."

But Ruby was nowhere to be found.

"Ruby? Ruby, where are you?" Sam called out into the corridors. "Byruu?"

"Ruby?" the Head Penguinist asked. "What does she look like?"

"She's a Katzinist," Sam panted, waddling around the halls, looking for her. "Rusty fur."

"Katzinist?" the Head Penguinist gasped. "Did she have a number?"

"Yeah."

"What was it?"

"Sixty...something. Maybe Seventy. Can't remember."

The Head Penguinist sighed. "Well, obviously, she isn't here..."

"Look," Sam picked up a note. It was covered in various pawprints, each with a different name next to it. It read:

**We got her, meow!**

**Marion's Brigade :3**

"Oh dear," the Head Penguinist sighed for the I'm-not-counting time.

* * *

**Point time!**

Point to whoever can correctly guess what the true "Marion's Brigade" is.

(What are points anyway? I gave them out in Crimson, but they don't do anything...uhhh...)

Another point to whoever makes up the best way to spend points?


	6. Cookies of Doom!

**Things you need to have read to understand this chapter:** Crimson (general background), In the Shadows (again, general background)

**Really lazy disclaimer of _Doom_:  
**Urby is really lazy right now, so you'll have to put these words together to make the disclaimer:  
Urby, ToS, does, own, not.  
Either that you can remove the commas and pretend I'm talking like Yoda.

* * *

_When I said I wanted to be in danger, I wanted to at least be able to do something about it!_

Shadow hid in a log, hoping that the Lobos that were chasing her would give up, but they were intent on catching her right now.

_I bet they're debating what kind of sauce to put on my bones...and the worst part is, I'm helpless._

A giant paw kicked the log aside, sending it sailing away. Shadow gasped, clinging to the sides for dear life.

Luckily, the Lobos didn't realize she was gone.

Unluckily, the log hit a rock, causing her to lose her hold on it. She yelped, careening into a net, getting so tangled all she could see was part of her shoulder and her right wing.

"Hey. What the hell is this?"

"I dunno. Maybe we should take it to boss, meow."

* * *

"So what...who exactly are the Marion's Brigade?" Sam wondered, looking at the note.

"They are fearsome thieves...can pluck a piece of dust from underneath the noses of a thousand guards," the Head Penguinist explained.

"We have to steal Ruby back," Sam kicked at a pebble, not realizing it was a bomb-pebble. It detonated on a wall.

"Whoops."

"Don't worry about it."

The purple Penguinist waddled by, stopping to gawp at the wall.

"Ah, Violet...can you go visit Byruu for me?" the Head Penguinist asked.

"What for, boss?" Violet saluted.

"We need a thief...to steal something back from the Katz."

* * *

Violet waddled over to the inn, followed by Sam, who wasn't doing anything else, so "might as well".

They went to Byruu's room, but she wasn't there.

"Byruu?" Violet called out.

A scream, some breaking dishes, and yelled cursing erupted from downstairs. A moment later Byruu appeared, with a tray filled with food.

"Where did you get that?" Sam questioned, waving her flipper in a tut-tut way.

"Legally," Byruu stuck out her tongue.

The two Penguinists did not look convinced.

"Period," Byruu concluded.

"Full stop," Sam corrected.

"Period!" Byruu snapped.

"Full stop!" Sam retorted.

"Okay, okay, break it up," Violet stepped between them. "The little dot-thing at the end of a sentence, there."

"Period," Byruu stuck her tongue out, determined to have the last word.

Violet groaned, put her hood down, and pull out some of her hair in frustration.

"So, what is it you want, mew?" Byruu sat, munching on a piece of toast.

"We need a thief," Violet nodded firmly.

"Really now?" Byruu crunched a burnt part of her snack. "How good?"

"Good enough to steal a...say, 90 pound Katzinist from a hoard of Katz," Sam gestured vaguely.

"Hrmmm..." Byruu reached for a brownie and nibbled on it. She made a face and threw it over her shoulder.

"Not good?" Violet ventured.

"Not like Colette's brownies," Byruu mumbled. "So, yeah, not good. Good news though, I found your thief."

"Any bad news?"

"Just a little...she's in prison over at the old Sylverant base."

* * *

"Hey Dragon, meow?"

Dragon opened one eye.

"This had better be good, meow..."

"We found this," a tan Katz held up a struggling black and grey kitten.

"Interesting," Dragon held it by the scruff of the neck. "Where did you find this?"

"Over by the game nets. Crashed into them."

Dragon studied her, making sure she wasn't close enough to do any harm.

"What's your name?" Dragon pointed at the tan Katz with his tail.

"Russet, sire. Want me to do something?"

"Yes. On my desk is a little green box. Go fetch it."

Russet nodded and left.

Dragon fiddled with the collar and tag on the kitten's neck.

"Shadow, is it? Shame...that means you're not the weapon...but you're close, and will do...meow."

* * *

It was what looked like would be a quiet evening, fire going, snow falling, dog asleep with a Pow Hammer in her mouth.

"I hate winter," Colette sighed, looking out the window.

"How come?" Lloyd looked up, awakened by her comment.

"There's so much...death," she sighed again, giving her wings a shake. A few feathers drifted around.

"All the plants wither and die...animals starve and perish...and the trees lose all their leaves."

Lloyd looked outside, finding a bare tree that looked rather like a giant twig.

"I see what you mean."

A feather landed on the dog's nose and she sneezed.

"Are you alright, Maria?" Colette asked, turning to her.

"Maria? Is that what you called her?"

Colette nodded and smiled, rubbing the dog's belly.

"You seem quite attached to her," Lloyd remarked.

Colette hugged the thing, flapping her wings sadly. "She...reminds me of Mitsmuzz, you know? The same color...the eyes..."

She sighed again, closing her eyes.

"It wasn't your fault she died..."

Colette shook her head. "Yes, it is...my chakrams were next to her. _I_ was next to her..."

"It wasn't you," Lloyd said, kneeling next to her and picking up a few feathers. "It was Crimson...he was using you."

Colette nodded slowly. Maria gnawed on the Pow Hammer, which squeaked softly.

"You wouldn't kill her," Lloyd continued. "You cared for that puppy-which is why you probably adopted my pillow, you weren't done taking care of something, you know?"

Colette mused on this for a moment while Maria's tail thumped against the floor.

"It was winter when she died," she finally said. "So much death..."

"Everything has to die sometime. Make room for all the new life that comes."

"All the new life..." Colette nodded, rubbing Maria's belly. "You hurry up and have plenty of lovely puppies, okay?"

* * *

Byruu walked down the dark hall, wondering if she should stop by the oracle and say hi. She passed by her door, decided she might as well, and opened it.

A heavenly smell, melting chocolate and ginger, greeted her.

_Cookies...oracle's secret recipe._

Currently the oracle was writing in another one of her giant books, she wouldn't notice if she nabbed a cookie or fifteen.

"Cuum to take my vittles, likkle one?" the oracle said without looking up. Byruu froze.

"How did you know?" Byruu sighed, but not in an unfriendly way.

"I saw it," the oracle gestured vaguely.

"So that's what you're writing?" Byruu sniggered. " 'A little half-Katz attempts to steal cookies from her grandmother but fails miserably?', mew?"

"Ah, no, child," the oracle cackled. "I write only the important stoff. Likkle things like that, don't bother."

Byruu sat down on the floor, thinking. "So, uh...you said you saw this war a long time ago, right?"

"Yees, zat I did."

"Did you see beyond it? Find out what happens next?"

The oracle scratched her head a bit, trying to remember. "Ahhh...don' quite recall...can look. Right now?" she asked.

"Please," Byruu requested. The oracle concentrated, bits of dust swirling around her. After a few minutes she opened her eyes.

"I see...two pairs of wings getting mahrried."

Byruu tipped her head questioningly. "Pairs of wings? Married?"

"Ahhh, I don' know," the oracle shrugged, shaking her head. "All I see is two pairs of wings at 'n altar. I 'sume they's getting mahrried. Don't know, may be getting sacrificed. Eet's as clear as ze visions get. Jes' good at guessing what they's trying to tell meh."

"So...it's all just a bunch of guesswork, mew?" Byruu said to distract her grandmother, so she could sneak off into the kitchen and pinch some cookies.

"Weel, yes. I don' see all what happins...that would spoil ze surprise, not make eet worth living throo."

Byruu smiled inwardly at her own luck, she hadn't noticed her intentions yet.

"Fine, have a cookie if you must!"


	7. Floor Cleaner

**Things you need to have read to understand this chapter:** Crimson (general background), In the Shadows (again, general background)

**Really lazy disclaimer of _Doom_: **(don't forget the italics)  
Urby's feeling lazy _and_ cheap!  
_There once was a girl who played video games.  
There were very many she thought that were lame.  
But when she picked up TOS she  
Said so sadly,  
"I wish I owned Namco, but I don't. Shame!"_  
I dare ya to guess where else I put that.

* * *

The sight of two Penguinists sneaking around a base formally owned by Desians, I must say, is a sight you don't see every day.

Mostly because you don't see Penguinists around Desian bases most of the time and they never sneak.

Except now.

Yeah.

Uhm...where was I?

Oh yeah!

"Funny that the guards haven't noticed us," Sam whispered.

"Duh, they're all on break right now," Myn answered in a low voice. "They must have been partying, look how drunk they are," she pointed at a sentry who bumped into a wall and fell unconscious. A Katz soon followed suit, flopping on the other dood and singing a nonsense song drunkenly.

"I gots a lovely buncha coconuts...deedeelee meow..."

"Katz and Desians...working together?" Sam wondered.

"Here we are," Myn turned a corner and arrived at the jail section of the base. "According to Byruu, it's the cell in the back."

The cell in the back wasn't lit, but they could hear some...thing breathing within.

"Hello?" Sam called out into the cell. It echoed a bit.

"What?" a rather annoyed, raspy voice answered.

"Are you...Lynn?"

"Yeah," the voice spat. "Whadda ya want? I already cleaned the floors today."

"We're here to get you out," Sam said.

There was silence. Sam opened her mouth to repeat what she had said just in case Lynn hadn't heard her, but there was a sound coming from the cell.

It was the sound of...laughter.

"You? Get me out? If I can't, you might as well give up," she snorted.

"You haven't tried bombs," Myn smirked.

"I have," she spat. "It alerted the guards. Janitor duty for weeks...with nothing but a toothbrush."

"Not this kind," Myn held up a small, wobbly bomb-pebble. Rubbing it furiously, she stuck it in the keyhole.

It took some long, slow, agonizing minutes, but the lock finally melted. The door opened sluggishly.

A gaunt, blindfolded girl with a bad haircut poked her head out. Her hands were cuffed together behind her back.

"Freedom!" she grinned, showing fanglike teeth. She ran around in circles, miraculously avoiding any objects to trip or run into. She stopped, having a thought, and suddenly whirled. "Why did you do that?" she demanded, stepping forward. She might have pointed at them, but she's got her hands bound, remember?

"We need your services," Myn nodded.

Lynn sighed, expecting something like that. "Alright, fine, I'll do what you want, after you get me out of here and get these stupid cuffs off me. Just...no cleaning any floors, okay?"

* * *

Shadow lay bound on a stone table, waiting helplessly for whatever Dragon was going to do to her.

Apparently, from the snippets of conversation she occasionally caught, he must have had a lot of green boxes on his desk, because he kept sending Russet to go get another.

She sighed, trying to move her toes. A silklike substance was tied around her front and back paws, and then to each other. Her wings were bound to her sides, utterly useless.

She tried to inch off the table, but Dragon was back, and with the right box this time.

Dragon sat down on a chair next to the table, tearing the box apart with his claws.

"Mwahameow...finally! A little Mana Seed I stole somewhere..." he cackled, holding up a large seed that glowed softly.

Shadow blinked and continued her quest to get off the table. (Inchie squinchie...)

Dragon grabbed her roughly by the scruff of the neck. "You know about Mana Seeds? They're just like Cruxis Crystals...when put on properly. Meow."

Shadow struggled, yowling. She had enough experience when she was Colette's Resident Soul that they were not something she wanted to have.

"Don't worry...the process of putting it on is...oh, _relatively_ painless."

* * *

Ruby wandered around the Katz' base, feeling very bored. Nothing to do, no one to talk to, and nothing to eat. Oh, how she wished there was something to eat...

She heard a high-pitched shriek, enough to freeze blood. She covered her ears against the noise, fearing it.

Whatever the sound was, it was cut short by something.

Ruby's ears drooped, feeling sorry for whatever-it-was. It was a sort of helpless cry for help, knowing no one would come to its aid and yet still hoping.

About a half hour of wandering and wondering later, she came across a still shape, cast carelessly aside, on the floor.

She picked it up carefully, as it twitched every once in a while. The thing was a blackish kitten with little black wings on its back, and a fluffy yellow mane. On its neck was a sort of seed, which was rooting itself in the skin.

Ruby tried to pull it out gently, but the cat snapped awake and slashed at her, yowling and hissing.

"Sorry," she sat down and placed it gently on the floor. It tried to stand, but its knees were too weak and it crumbled.

"H...hhh...ll...p..." the kitten croaked, looking up at Ruby in a humanly feminine voice. The blackness of her fur was...fading. it was a slow crawl at first, but then the black pelt seemed to be gobbled up and replaced with a white coat.

The kitten blacked out then. The seed on her neck throbbed for a bit longer and then seemed to be satisfied, no longer moving.

"That is fuuuunky..."

* * *

"This is too weird," Sam sighed, running alongside Myn and Lynn.

"What's weird?" Lynn tipped her head.

"I mean, we come in, we come out, with no one stopping us...the old cliché states there has to be some type of interruption."

"Is that interruption enough?" Myn pointed at an army of Desians blocking the only exit.

"Stop right there!" a Desian stepped forward. "Give us back our floor cleaner!"

"I'm not cleaning any more floors!" Lynn barked.

"Stand back," Myn took out a sling and threw a bomb-pebble.

"Nice try," a soldier fired a shot at it, detonating it somewhere between them.

"Damn," Myn readied the sling. "Lucky shot!"

Another soldier shot at it, preventing it from reaching them.

"How..." Myn started, but she gave up. She put her sling away. "Sam, you got anything?"

"No," Sam shook her head. "Just a simple hand-to-hand weapon...no match against all of them, and they've got guns."

"We're dead," Myn sighed.

"Hold on, I want to try something," Lynn gestured to Sam. "Take off my blindfold, please."

Sam nodded, untying the bandana covering her eyes.

Lynn shook her head to get the hair out of her eyes and stepped forward. The guards gasped and took a few steps back.

"Someone, shoot her!" a commander ordered. None did.

Long...uncomfortable...stare...

"Flee!" the commander shouted. There were no objections.

"Whoa," Sam managed.

"Blindfold, please," Lynn felt for it.

"Here," Sam handed it to her.

Lynn nodded her thanks, tied the bandana around her head again, and said no more.

'What did you do?" Myn asked, wondering.

Lynn was silent for a while.

"...I looked at them."

"That's it?"

"Yep."

"...Really?"

"Just one look?" Myn sweatdropped.

"...Yeah."

"We looked at them, and nothing happened! What's so spiffy about _your_ eyes?"

Lynn walked off toward the exit. "You'd rather not know."

* * *

**Author's notes (blaaaaah):**

Yes, I know this chapter is short and it took forever to write. So sue me!

Don't expect a new chapter in a while. Sorry guys. School comes first.


	8. Verti

**Things you need to have read to understand this chapter:** Crimson (general background), In the Shadows (again, general background) Twists of Fate (interesting comparison material)

**Really lazy disclaimer of _Doom_: **(don't forget the italics. Never forget the italics. It's just Not Done.)  
Zhe only thing Urby owns is the story, la.

* * *

Lynn cupped a hand to her ear, listening to the babble that was coming from the Katz base.

"So. I go in, get the girl, and skedaddle, right?"

"Please," Sam nodded. Then she mentally hit herself, the girl had a blindfold on and wouldn't have been able to see her.

"Righto. I'll be back in an hour, tops." Lynn opened an air vent and slid in.

"It's always an air vent, eh?" Myn said off-handedly.

"Want me to use a window instead?" Lynn poked her head out of the vent.

"No, no...the vent's fine."

* * *

Ruby hummed a nonsense song, twitching her tail. Being locked in a room with nothing to do was rather boring.

She listened to the guard outside, patrolling as usual. Why they wanted her to die of boredom, she didn't know.

She spied out of the corner of her eye an unusual mana signature from the hallway. The guard growled a few threats at whatever-it-was.

"What are you doing here, meow?"

"Move it, overgrown pussycat," a tomboyish voice snarled. Some fighting noises. Claws. Yowls. Weapons clanging. Curses. Roars.

Ruby hid under the bed, afraid of the din.

The fight had stopped by now and the winner was trying to knock the door down.

"Oi, girl," the tomboy voice came from behind the door. "Got a piece of wire? I'm here to get you out."

"I think," Ruby hunted around the room for something to use. "I got a fork! Is that good enough?"

"Slide it under the door," the voice urged.

After a few jabs with the fork, the door opened.

"Whoa..." Ruby blinked, unaccustomed to the light in the hall. "Who are you?" she asked a lanky girl with a blindfold, holding the fork.

The girl simply grinned a toothy smile and said,

"Decide for yourself."

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Ruby worried, following the blindfold girl, who was setting a very fast pace.

"Away," she answered simply, not wasting any breath. "You want away, yes?"

"Right," Ruby shrugged.

The girl turned a corner, tripping over a snare line.

"Awww..." she began, cursing at the alarms that went off. "Why didn't I see that?"

"Because you're blindfolded?" Ruby offered.

"Well...never mind," she got up. "Go lets."

They hightailed it off in the opposite direction, avoiding any more alarms.

"Get them!" a mix of Katz and Desian voices yelled, stampeding toward them.

"Mayn!" the blindfold girl stopped around a corner. "It should take a while before they find us. Hey you," she waved to Ruby. "Take off my blindfold."

Ruby shuffled nervously. "You sure?"

"I said!" the other girl snapped. "Make with the taking off!" she turned around and pointed at the knot tied there.

"O...okay," Ruby slid the silk bandana off her eyes.

"Okay, favor number two," the girl rubbed her eyes a bit. "Run as far as you can away. I'll join up with you later."

"But what about the people chasing us?" Ruby fretted.

"I'll distract 'em," the girl waved nonchalantly. "Now run along."

Ruby dashed down the hall, peering out to find out just _what_ that girl was up to.

She was nowhere to be seen, but she was to be heard, or the people she was facing, at least:

"What the hell is that girl doing?"

"Holy-"

**CHRRAUGHHHHGRRRRRR! ROOOOWLLLL...**

"HOLY-"

"Oh my god!"

**RAWR! GRRR...**

"It got me! Help, meow!"

**KWEEEEEEE!**

"Shoot that thing!"

"No! Please! I'm in the thing's mouth, meow!"

"Whatever! Just don't shoot it in the mouth!"

**GRRRROOOAAARRRR!**

Ruby tiptoed quietly away, afraid.

After a few, long, agonizing minutes...

The fighting was still going on. Ah-ha! I got you there!

Okay, so, some whiles later:

"Whazzap," the girl's voice said behind her, making Ruby jump.

"Can I have the blindfold back?"

"Sure," Ruby whimpered, throwing it behind her.

"Okay," she tied it quickly. "Now we won't be interrupted anymore, so we can get outta here."

"Who sent you?" Ruby asked, shifting the kitten in her arms into a more comfortable position.

"Two Penguinists...didn't get the names. Whatev."

* * *

"Dragon?" a Katz slinked over to him.

"Quit interrupting my catnaps!" Dragon yowled. "What, meow?"

"Sixty-three got away, meow."

Silence.

"...Dragon?"

"Bring me Verti," Dragon hissed. "**NOW**!"

The Katz saluted and dashed off.

Dragon stretched and grabbed a rock, grinding it into power in a paw. With luck, they might not need that little Katzinist to bargain with the humans.

He was aware of a sudden, quiet presence behind him. It must have been Verti. He had a very...silent aura.

"DRAGON," he said in a doll-like voice. "YOU CALLED."

"Yes, I did," Dragon turned to him, smiling warmly. "Did you get the information about The Weapon from the kitten?"

Verti twitched his green tail. "OF COURSE."

"Good Verti," Dragon patted him on the head. "I knew I could count on you."

"IT IS...OF NO PROBLEM," Verti said in his doll voice.

"Go fetch Marion's Brigade for me, meow," he waved him off, lounging on his throne.

"AT ONCE," Verti bowed and left.

Dragon threw a yarn ball on the table a few times up in the air, his mind wandering. Oooh, the sweet victory of crushing those Penguinist with that grand Weapon of his...

"Whazzap!" Marion yanked Dragon's tail.

"Ouch!" Dragon yelled in an undignified way. "Oh, it's just you, Marion..."

The muddy brown Katz grinned and did a bit of Broadway tapdancing. "The one and only!"

Dragon shook his head and sighed. "I really wish you would stop doing that..."

"But it's in my nature, meow!" Marion did some more shoe-shuffle. "Born on stage...been on it most my life. Can't help it."

"Well, if you aren't careful, you'll die before you get the chance to go back on it, meow," Dragon growled. "Okay, here's what I want you to do..."


	9. The Weapon

**Things you need to have read to understand this chapter:** Crimson (general background), In the Shadows (again, general background) Twists of Fate (because I said so)

**Really lazy disclaimer of _Doom_:** (forgot the italics yet? Good...)**  
**Urby doesn't own ToS. And good thing too.  
Hey!  
It's true.  
That wasn't nice!  
That's true too. But who cares?  
Don't tell me...  
And that's true too.

* * *

Marion grinned, and did a happy jig.

"This is the challenge the Brigade's been waiting for!"

"Glad to hear it," Dragon cackled. "Can you start tomorrow evening, meow?"

"Hell! The Brigade will be ready by tonight! Meow!" Marion dashed off.

"Good. On to more pressing matters," Dragon stomped down the hall. "Everything's coming together, meow...I love that feeling!"

He made is way to the mess hall, where the majority of his Katz and Desian forces were gathered. He stopped, wondering how in the world he would get their attention.

_Use your charisma. You're the boss!_

He stood on a large rock and simply stared at everyone's backs. Sooner or later, they realized his presence and turned around slowly. It was a trick he learned somewhere.

_Oh, the wonders of being an evil warlord!_

"If you're here, you're not on duty, is that so?" he began in a normal voice, but even those in the back nodded.

"Well. In that case, meow, we will be attacking Sybak at dawn. Be ready!" he leaped off the ledge and stormed off. There was a quiet murmur of noise in the mess hall as everyone filed out to get their gear.

"Dragon?" Auburn ran to catch up to him. "Why are we going so far to Sybak? I mean, the Penguinists don't hang out there, do they, meow?"

"I guess I can trust you," Dragon hopped on his throne. "How much do you know about The Weapon?"

"Not much," Auburn admitted. "It's supposed to be this grand ould thing that will solve all our problems, meow?"

"It's not a _thing_," Dragon grinned, playing with a mouse that happened to happen by the armrest of his throne. "Part of it's a monster...part of it's a spirit...and part of it's a _person_."

Auburn waited for Dragon to explain, but he was so absorbed in mauling the mouse with one hand, with that oh-so-smug expression he always wore when he knew something others didn't, and you always had to ask him, and he'd just mess around with you for a few minutes, and finally tell you whatever it was.

"So...? Why are there so many parts?"

"Aha, that's the million-gald question," Dragon decided he was bored with the mouse and eased it down into his mouth. "You see-the monster we have...right here," he reached over and grabbed Shadow. "See, she's the base-" he swallowed- "for The Weapon. The body, meow. See?"

Auburn nodded.

"The spirit-hmmm, you familiar with all the Summon Spirits, meow? Name them, boy." He waved idly.

"Let's see!" Auburn played along with Dragon's good humor, counting off his fingers. "Efreet, Undine, the Sylphs, Celsius-"

"She's hot."

"Even though she's made of ice..."

"She's still hot."

"Anyway-so, where was I...Volt, Luna and Aska, Shadow, Maxwell, Origin, and Gnome."

"He's kickass."

"Whatever you say, sire."

"That all, meow?"

"Yes, I think so, meow."

"You're wrong," Dragon grinned, rolling a bit in his throne with laughter.

"What?" Auburn cried. "That was all ten! Well, there's that Summon Spirit of Heart, too..."

"One last one," Dragon had found another mouse.

"I don't know what it is, then," Auburn sighed.

"No? Well, that's no surprise. It's been locked away for quite some time now. It is known sometimes as 'The Beast of Blood'...ring any bells?"

"No, meow."

"Well, meow!" Dragon snorted, swinging the mouse around by the tail. "That's a shame-I'm talking about the Summon Crimson."

"Crimson?" Auburn tipped his head.

"Yep. You see, there's two parts to 'im-think Luna and Aska, boy-and he's the...engine of The Weapon."

"I see. He brings the power to it?"

"Exactly, boy." Dragon began squeezing his mouse, watching gleefully as it coughed and sputtered for air.

"And the person? What does it do?"

"Ahhh-the final part," Dragon sighed, pouting as the mouse gave a last gasp and perished. "Pity-I thought it would last longer, meow-you see, the person sort of binds it all together, per se. Without 'er, we couldn't bring the engine and the body together. The key, eh?"

"Right. Monster body, spirit engine, and human key. So...you know who the human is, meow?"

"Of course I do," Dragon picked up Shadow from where she lay on the stone table. "She's her soulsib-I do believe her name is Colette Brunel or something. You're going to see her again-isn't that exciting?"

Shadow looked at him with an empty look. She mumbled some nonsense and passed out.

"That still doesn't explain why we're going to Sybak..."

"You'll see," Dragon crunched his mouse. "Oh, you'll see..."

* * *

The Brigade stole away silently, because, as Marion would say, "It's just what we _do_."

"This is the place! Now everyone, shut your gobs! You know your positions, you know what you gotta do, you know how'ta do it, and you know what I'm going to do to you if you don't do it right! So...you guys ready?"

The Brigade nodded.

"Alright people. Let's make some fireworks! Meow!"

The Katz slinked in quietly, taking their places.

"Arnold! Now!" Marion commanded.

The Katz named Arnold (well, his full name was Benedict Arnold the really-stupid-number, but we're leaving that out) saluted and accidentally-on-purpose knocked over a vase. Or something that makes a noise when you break it. I would have said bomb, but who in their right mind would keep a bomb in their house...anyway, moving on...

"What was that?" a sleepy voice yawned.

Colette got up to investigate, stretching her wings a little.

"Maria?" she called out softly, but she saw a little Katz instead. "What are you doing here?"

Now, Arnold was incredibly small, and also incredibly cute. He looked up at Colette with the best innocent look he could muster.

And he could muster a _very_ innocent look, mind.

"Gotcha!" a Katz cackled, knocking her over rather suddenly. "McClellan! Use that teleport thing of yours!"

"What?" Colette yawped in surprise. It was the last thing she was going to say for the rest of the night.

McClellan grinned and the entire Brigade vanished. The only trace they anything was ever there was one of Colette's feathers, which floated oh-so-gently down.

And, well, the vase.

* * *

Garnet shook Azure.

"Hey, hey! It's a brand new day! You gotta get up, yey! And stud-ay! And in bed you lay! 'Coz you lay-zay!"

"Shut up."

"Hiss."

Azure rolled off the bed and grabbed her study book as she made her way down to the mess hall. _This is shaping up..._

There was a hoard of Katz and Desians already at the mess hall, making an absolute mess of things and generally terrifying the students.

"Now look here, meow!" a particularly large Katz with a lashing tail growled, having cornered a teacher with a scimitar. "Tell me-who here knows of MAYA?"

"We don't have anything called MAYA on campus!" the teacher insisted. "What does it stand for, anyway?"

"It doesn't stand for anything," Azure said sleepily. "It's just this really big machine..."

"Azure!" Garnet hissed, squeezing her arm. "You fool!"

The big Katz turned on them, impossibly close to gutting their throats.

"So you know of MAYA, eh? Be good girls and show Dragon where it is, meow."

_...To be a very bad day...

* * *

_

Dragon danced, oh, everything was so perfect, they had MAYA, they had Shadow, Marion's Brigade were returning, and their Summoner Katz would come back any minute with that Summon Spirit in tow.

"DRAGON," Verti said. "A KATZ WISHES TO SPEAK WITH YOU..."

"Very well," Dragon waved them in. It was his Summoner. Splendid.

"So...?" Dragon sensed there was something wrong. The Katz didn't hold himself up right, he smelled of anxiety.

The Katz gulped. "I'm sorry...there was nothing at the seal, meow..."

Dragon stared for what seemed to be an eternity at the Katz in front of him.

"Forgive me, sire..." the Katz shrunk down.

"It's not your fault," Dragon sighed. "Crimson is known to have multiple seals, anyway. That's just too bad-Verti!" he turned to the doll-Katz. "Tell me the location of the next seal."

"LONGITUDE X, LATITUDE Y," Verti replied simply.

"That means-" Dragon consulted a map on the wall. "Oh, gods!" he rambled off in a string of colorful curses.

"What is it?" the Summoner asked, scratching an ear.

"The last seal-it's in the Penguinist Base! This is an outrage!"

He began to shred some pieces of paper nearby.

"DRAGON. THAT KATZINIST CHILD...WHAT WAS HER NUMBER?"

"Sixty-three," Dragon snapped, not wanting to be interrupted in his shredding moment. "Wait...Verti, you're a genius!" he led the doll-Katz through a few steps of an Indian jig. "We won't have to do any work after all!"

"Unless the Penguinists are so stupid they don't know what she can do," the Summoner Katz offered.

"Shut up! I'm in the middle of an Indian jig here-why spoil a good mood?"

"DRAGON...DRAGON...PLEASE STOP..."

* * *

"Ruby!" Sam hugged the Katzinist. "You're okay!"

"They didn't abuse me or anything," Ruby blinked. "But it's good to be home, anyway."

"Boss, sir!" Sam called the Head Penguinist over. "This is Ruby...the Katzinist I was talking about."

"Is that so?" the Head Penguinist knelt to Ruby's height and muzzed up her hair. "Did you have a number, child?"

"Yeah," Ruby chewed on her hand. "Sixty-three."

"Six...three?" the Head Penguinist blinked. "Can...do you see weird colors sometimes?"

"Yep!" Ruby nodded. "They're mana flows!"

"Perfect," the Head Penguinist rubbed his flippers together, smiling warmly. "How well can you see them?"

"Really well," Ruby smiled. "I see them everywhere."

"Really!" the Head Penguinist shook his head. "Wow. Just...wow."

"Why?" Ruby noshed on her tail this time.

"Well, you see, there's this seal on this mountain. Supposedly, there's a spirit there, but we're not sure. I'll show you..."

"Boss!" a purple Penguinist panted. "Katz! A lot of them!"

"Damn," the Head Penguinist sighed. "Well, I'll have to wait. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Ruby waved, now completely alone. All the Penguinists had left for the field.

"I wish Byruu was here."

* * *

A few hours earlier...

"Hey Dragon! We just got word from the Fifth battalion! Once assembled, we can launch an attack at the Penguinists!" A Desian reported, saluting.

"Oh...really?" Dragon was currently having a drink with Auburn, the Summoner Katz, and Verti. Well, Verti wasn't drinking, but they'd tried to get him to. "You go do that if you want, meow."

"What?" the Desian coughed in surprise. Dragon had never missed an occasion to kill some Penguinists.

"The war with _them_ is over," Dragon explained, hiccupping. "The war with every...hic...one else 'z just begun. 'Z soon as we build that dang weapon, that iz."

"DRAGON," Verti said. "IT WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE TO DISTRACT THEM WHILE SIXTY-THREE FINDS THE SPIRIT..."

"Dangit, yer right," Dragon said after another pull at his drink. "Here, kid, have a beer-you deserve it, meohic. As for you!" he pointed at the Desian and missed by a few inches, "go and kick some Penguinist ass. 'Coz I said so!"

* * *

Byruu meandered the familiar tunnels, humming. The sound of her feet and her voice carried around the walls, making them sound a little eerie. Ah well. No one went through these tunnels except her and any guests she deemed worthy.

She paused by her grandmother's 'door'. Oh well. Might as well.

"Good morning!" she poked in brightly.

"Oh! You likkle scoundral! Yew almost scared me out uf my skeen! Was in a nice likkle nap, too." The Oracle grumbled.

"Sorry," Byruu lied. "Anyway, mew! Got any cookies?"

"Bah! Why would I share such zings with yew? Ungrateful likkle kitten!"

Byruu looked over at an open volume of the Oracle's scribblings and looked at it. "Say, when is the war gonna end?"

"End? It ended about five meenites ago."

Byruu whirled. "What? Then...then...that altar wing thing! How long after the end was that?"

"Hmmm? Some...day and a half, why?"

Byruu blinked. This wasn't good. Not good at all.

Earlier she had gone to Iselia again to say hi. See the sights. Breathe the fresh air. Okay, she was just there for the pie.

When she arrived at the Irving (so we shall assume for now) house, there was no trace of her friend. Only Lloyd. Oh, Lloyd looked ready to break down. Or slice a few heads off. In any order, really. To him, it probably didn't matter.

The only thing he had left of her was a note from Marion's Brigade. Byruu had given him a heads-up on the Katz and Penguinist war, to try and explain her disappearance.

But both of them knew it didn't explain a single thing.

Why would anyone want to get their hands on a weakened angel, anyway? For a Katz and Penguinist war?

Whatever the reason, they probably were not going to give her back in a day and a half.


	10. Run, Mousey

**Things you need to have read to understand this chapter:** Crimson (general background), In the Shadows (again, general background) Twists of Fate (because I said so)

**Really lazy disclaimer of _Doom_:** (italics are still there...)**  
**I don't own ToS. I don't think so...when I take over the world, I'll see you guys about that.

* * *

Ruby wandered the halls, sighing deeply. Alone. Well, she was used to that, and it surprised her how much it saddened her.

She stopped at a door, wondering. She'd never seen it before...

Then again, she never was at this place for very long.

Now that she thought about it, it was a rather large door, steel-plated and looking like it was meant not to open.

Of course, that meant she had to open it.

So she did.

Nyet.

Anyway, the door opened to a mountain ledge outside. The snow flew around in lazy circles, bored with having nothing alive to settle on. When Ruby stepped out and closed the heavy steel door, it seemed to dance with happiness, oh, something living, and it attacked her with a furious joy.

She shielded her eyes against the ecstatic assault, walking against it. The snow grew angry now, slapping her with its tiny hands, shrieking at her for daring to do anything other than sit and admire.

She pushed on, unfazed by the crazy snow. There had to be a reason there was a steel door. Something important.

Well, it might have been to keep that crazy snow out...darb it! She thought she was on to something. She walked on anyway.

The next thing she came across was an outcropping, decorated with icicles. Protected from said outcropping, and outlining the wall it created, was a mural.

It depicted two large, hulking beasts, one the color of the stone the mural was painted on, and one a rusty red. Both had an identical mass on their head, it was hard to tell just _what_, since they were facing the front. Whatever it was, it was outlined in gold foil, which had flaked and gave it a lame, fake look.

The beasts were reaching out to her, the grey one in a 'hey buddy, take my hand' way, the red one 'take my hand or I'll beat yo ass into a pulp, foo' fashion. In the space between their hands, there was a little knothole. From it, she saw the swirling, oily colors that meant there was mana flowing into it. It was a tiny trickle, but enough to be fishy.

Ruby, having nothing else to do, pushed the knothole.

Nothing happened.

Ruby pushed it again.

Still nothing. Ho hum.

"Look here, you stupid button!" she screamed at it. "I know you're doing something! So do something!"

She slammed the button.

This time, it vibrated, spun a bit, and then...nothing happened.

Now, Ruby was getting just a mite ticked off.

She kicked the wall.

The wall did nothing, and the snow around it shook boredly. Now, Ruby had a sore foot, a nasty temper, and a stubborn wall to deal with.

Ruby massaged her foot, planning her next move. Oh, she had an idea. Wasn't brilliant, but hey. Beggars can't be choosers.

She threw a snowball at it.

Finally, the mural shook, and it opened.

_Took long enough_, Ruby mused, poking in. The room was quiet, small, and very dusty. The air was still, not really realizing it was alive quite yet.

There was a stone dais in the middle of the room, with room for a hand on it. It seemed lonely without one, so Ruby put hers on it.

Two things happened.

First, a little grey-haired boy and a white puppy with various black spots, and a red crescent-moon spot on its head, existed in front of the dais.

Second...Urby forgot what she wanted to put down. Don't you just hate that?

Ruby blinked. Where did they come from, and who were they?

They were coughing, unused the dust in the room.

"Cheese! I was in the middle of a nap..."

"Where's our Summoner?" the boy got up and looked around, completely ignoring Ruby.

Ruby suddenly sneezed, dust in her nose.

The boy and the puppy turned.

"Oh, don't tell me you're our Summoner!" the boy wailed, pulling out his silver locks and tore himself up into paperlike shreds. Ruby was scared for a moment but he managed to pull himself together.

She said nothing. What was a Summoner, anyway?

"Well, since you're here, y'gotta battle us to gain our pacts. Let's go!" the boy yelled, charging.

The puppy charged along, but collapsed. The boy turned around, kneeling next to his companion.

"C'mon, Susa, get up! C'mon, you can do it!"

"I can't, bro...I've been mana-starved. Fight without me..."

The boy stood up, aura blazing with energy. It surrounded him, making Ruby afraid. Sure, all it was was a sort of light show, but if someone's got a giant aura then you don't really wanna mess with 'em.

He dashed, roaring. Ruby dodged swiftly, tripping him with her tail.

"Owww..." the boy croaked, trying to get up. He failed rather poorly.

"Okay, you win," he sighed. He sat up, gaining more strength. "Discuss your wishes, oh great Summoner."

Ruby thought for a bit. What did she want?

"Could you...play with me?"

The boy and the puppy stared at her.

"Well, I mean, everyone's away, and I'm all alone, and-"

"No, no, that's cool," the puppy said. "Just let us step outside, recharge our mana?"

Ruby walked out, tailed by the two.

"Man, that feels so good, after being shut in that place," the puppy wagged his tail.

"Yeah..." the boy had his hands up. "But...kinda weird."

"What are you talking about?" the puppy tipped his head. "What's wrong with you?"

As soon as he said that, the boy burst into flames.

"Sanguine!"

"Eeek!" (that was Ruby, mind)

After a rather short pyrotechnic display, there was nothing but a slight ash mark to ever give away the boy was ever there.

* * *

Sanguine landed with a plump...plump noise. The room was white, almost sickeningly so. An all-too-smug-to-be-good Katz was grinning at him, swishing his tail.

"Welcome...Crimson..."

"I ain't Crimson," Sanguine got up, buckling.

"How...disappointing, meow," the Katz sighed. "Here I thought you were worth something."

Sanguine cast a look around, taking in his surroundings. Hmmm...

"Kill him," the Katz gestured to some waiting guards. In an instant, Sanguine was surrounded.

_Eeep._

He wasn't immortal in this form. All he was was a pitiful little boy, anyway.

_Think straight! You're a Spirit, transform!_

_Yeah, but into what? I can only turn back fifteen minutes afterwards!_

_Something small! Maybe that flies! SOMETHING!_

He transformed into a little red mouse and ducked all the bullets that flew over his head. Then he ran away. I mean, duh.

"Where did he go?"

"Don't!" the Katz roared.

The Desians froze.

"I got a kitty who's dying of hunger, anyway..." he cackled.

* * *

Sanguine dashed. Where the hell was he, anyway?

At least no one interfered with him. The few people in school uniform he met all panicked like girls, and he could dodge any shots shot at him. It was fun!

But he wanted out.

Suddenly, he stopped. He bicycled his paws worriedly, but he didn't cover any ground.

Then he saw something he dreaded.

The jaw of a cat.

* * *

"Good kitty," the Katz wagged his tail, picking up the Chimaeracore.

The kitten simply blinked in an empty way and meowed placidly, dropping the mouse.

The mouse squeaked and skittered about, only to be caught by the Katz.

"Aren't you jumpy, meow..."

The mouse squeaked irritably, sticking out its tongue.

"So you are Crimson. At least, the part I need." The Katz slinked to a very ominous looking machine, admiring it.

"You see this, meow? This is MAYA. It's something that'll turn you and a few other ingredients into something you won't even imagine!"

The mouse squeaked boredly.

"Finally, you'll be able to accomplish what you were created for. Crimson, emotions? Yeah, right. Even your name says it all-you are a killing machine!" the Katz growled at the mouse, bringing it up close to his face.

The mouse shrugged and squeaked.

"Never mind. You'll understand..." he tossed the mouse into a small capsule within the machine. It squeaked frantically, trying to get out.

The Katz ignored the mouse's shrill pleas and grabbed the Chimaeracore, placing her in her own capsule. Lastly, he put the angel in the final capsule.

"Ya know, sire?" a brown Katz wondered aloud. "The more I think about it, the more I think MAYA looks like an altar."

The Chimaeracore flapped her wings lazily, almost but not really trying to get out.

"Oh well. Who cares, meow," the first Katz pressed a few buttons, locking each capsule into the machine, which glowed eerily. "It's just a matter of time now."

* * *

"Oh no!" the puppy ran around in tight circles. "Sanguine! Speak to me! Where'd you go? SANGUINE!"

"What happened?" Ruby blinked.

"I...I don't know! But you gotta let me look for him!" the puppy shook he Katzinist.

"Okay," Ruby said, if only to make the puppy stop.

'Thank you sooo much!" the puppy bowed and vanished in a puff of smoke.

_And here I'm all alone again...

* * *

_

"Dragon, sire?"

"WHAT?"

"Are you going to keep staring at that machine all day?"

"So what, meow?"

"...

Nothing, sire."

"Damn straight it's nothing."

"Won't it take a day or two...?"

"...

Shut up!"


	11. Dynablade

**Things you need to have read to understand this chapter:** Crimson (general background), In the Shadows (again, general background) Just Once? (felt like putting it up)

**Really lazy disclaimer of _Doom_:** (like, _italics_, man) **  
**Urby: Whee, Mario RPG! Ladybugs...  
Seldom: Like, dood; you need to do the disclaimer.  
Urby: No I don't.  
Seldom: My frying man says you do.  
Urby: Eeeeeeeei. (looks through prepared disclaimers) The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  
Seldom: ...  
That's a quote.  
Urby: (looks) Well, darb it.

* * *

"Dragon! Please, quit staring at that thing and go to sleep, meow!" Auburn shook his commander. "It'll keep working even if you're not watching it!"

"But I don't have anything else to do...and it's so pretty..." Dragon drooled.

"Yes sire, it's very pretty, but I think you need some shut-eye, meow," Auburn patted the dazed Katz. "Tell you what - why don't you go to sleep and dream up something to do tomorrow, huh? It's gonna be a big day!"

"Yes...yes, that sounds like a good idea, meow..." Dragon sighed, letting himself be walked to his room.

"Just relax. I'll take care of things for now, alright?" Auburn settled his commander in a chair.

"If any Penguinists show up, save some for me, alright?" Dragon growled, soon snoring.

Auburn sighed and put his hood down. "Goodness...this suit is hot. Well, I won't have to wear it much longer..."

A teal falcon alighted near him, clicking its beak and settling down.

"You lazy bum, where've you been? I've been cooking inside this suit!" he swatted at it, growling when it flew a bit too far for him to reach.

Verti peeked his head in, finding a hoodless Katz chasing fruitlessly after a blue bird. He sighed, closed the door quietly, and looked for something worthless to do.

* * *

The sun peeked over the horizon, stretching and yawning.

Inside a dorm in the Sybak building, a Katz mimicked its action.

"Yes! Today! I shall have my weapon, meow!" he was nearly bouncing out of his suit. He bolted out of the bed, squealing like a child.

"Izzitsoupyet? Izzitsoupyet?" he shook the blue-haired student that knew how to work MAYA.

"Noitizznt, noitizznt," the girl gasped.

"Whyizzintitdone?" he shook the other student who knew how MAYA worked, the redhead.

"Idontknow, lemmiego!" she screamed.

Dragon sat down in a chair, pouting. "You said it would be ready by today, meow! What's taking it so long?"

"Hey, Garnet, is that light supposed to be flashing?" the blue one pointed.

"You know, Azure, I really don't know," she walked over to the machine, pushing a few buttons. "Come to think of it, no, I've not seen that light before..."

"You broke my weapon!" Dragon sobbed.

"No, we didn't _break_ it," Azure said quickly, "we...just don't know what's going on."

"You broke it!" Dragon blew his nose on Garnet's sleeve.

"Hey, I think something's happening," Garnet pointed to the main capsule, which shook and flashed.

"Oooh, I've never seen it do _that_ before," Azure put on some work goggles. "Eye protection, everyone!"

The capsule continued to shake and glow, until it cracked. Then everything went quiet.

"Now, if that's not broken," Dragon poked the crack, "I don't know what is, meow."

A hand burst through the glass, grabbing his neck.

"Get me...out of here!" the thing demanded, tightening its grip.

"Hurray!" Dragon coughed, turning blue. "It's not broken after all! You two - help me!"

"Hmmm, no thanks," Azure looked at her nails.

"Not after you trashed the school," Garnet played with a bit of hair.

"Well, I don't care much for that," Azure admitted. "It's just I don't trust him, you know, with the sword thing."

Another hand tore out of the glass capsule, getting a hold on Garnet's foot and crushing it.

"I...want...out!"

"Okay, alright, calm down, you! Sheesh!" Garnet hopped around on one foot while Azure clicked a few locks open. "Out you go!"

The Weapon coughed indignantly, stepping out of MAYA. She paused, seemed to realize something, and hid back inside.

"What's wrong now?" Dragon questioned, shaking the machine.

"I'm not decent!" she shrieked, punching him.

"Well, I'll be," Azure patted her friend on the back, looking for some ice. "Well, it seems that she's inherited a lot of her material's values, so that's a good thing."

"Why is that?" Dragon rubbed a bruise on his face.

"Well, if those passed on to her, she's likely to remember fighting styles, people she hates, all that junk a weapon would like to have," Azure explained, playing with her large work goggles. Every main character needs some goggles! Just watch Digimon! And before you snap at me, Lloyd gets goggles too - have him put on the swimsuit, foo. Oh, ladybug time.

"I'll get her something," Garnet hopped. Well, actually, she needed an excuse to go to the nurse about her poor foot, but she might as well get the poor lady some clothes while she was at it.

"Hurry!" The Weapon peeked out before closing the door to her 'room'.

Dragon decided to go and brag about how his weapon was finally finished...well, actually, he didn't want her to get mad for fear she might kill him or something.

"Here you go," Garnet hobbled back in, tossing a uniform to her. "Not much, but the closest thing I could find."

The Weapon pulled it on, or at least tried. During her stay in MAYA, she had grown quite a bit larger than a regular human being.

"Couldn't you get something a little more...merciful?" she whined, hiding again.

"I would, but I believe _somebody_ killed my foot!" Garnet yelled, rubbing it.

"Tell you what," Azure said soothingly, restraining them from getting into a catfight, "how bout: you, make some clothes for her with your l33t sewing skillz, you, calm down and don't break any more limbs, so we can all get along and Dragon won't get all mad and gut us with that scimitar of his because I'd _really, really like to stay alive and stuff_..." she pined in a wheedling tone, tearing up.

Garnet grumbled, hopping about. "Fine, fine! Get me my sewing kit."

* * *

"Marion!" Dragon shook the sleeping Katz, "guess what! Guess what!"

"Oh no, eeek and all that stuff," Marion said groggily in that it's-too-early-in-the-morning way. "I dunno, boss. Something spectacular?"

"Yes, spectacular, meow! But I want you to guess!"

"Learned to tapdance? That's spectacular to me, meow. None of the Brigade can do it right."

"You dolt!" Dragon shook him again, "The Weapon's finished!"

"Oh, that. Geez, boss, you should know better then to ask me to use my brain so early in the morning."

"It needs a name," Dragon continued, ignoring him.

"I'm not the creative one, Poe is, even though he is a bit gothic," Marion thought for a bit, "I dunno. Dynablade."

"Hmmm, nice," Dragon stroked his chin. "I like it."

"So what is it?" Marion stretched. "You never really talked about it. A giant gun? A huge sword? Monstrous tomato...?"

"You'll see!" Dragon giggled, at the happiest he'd ever been since he was a kit. "Oh, everyone will see! Meow..."

"Can I see...now?" Marion pulled his tail.

"**_NO_ ONE...PULLS DRAGON'S TAIL!**" he boomed, slashing the brown one.

"Can I?" Marion repeated, cowering.

"Sure," Dragon helped his comrade up, the outburst forgotten.

* * *

"Sit still," Garnet pulled some strings, making sure the makeshift pants would stay on.

"I need a hole for my tail," Dynablade squirmed.

"Oh, you hush," Garnet pinched one of her many wings to shut her up, "we still have to make you a shirt, and I do believe that's more important than a tail."

"There's a pin in my side," she poked Azure, because Garnet didn't care very much if she suffered.

"Here, there, it's out," Azure pulled a random pin out, but unfortunately she had no idea which one was in question, and pulled out one that happened to be keeping the pants together.

"You idiot, Bloo!" Garnet roared, using the silly name for the blue-haired one. "You've undone all my hard work!"

"Well...it wasn't that hard!" the blue one countered, huffing.

"Yes it was!" Garnet chomped on her head, snarling.

Dynablade watched silently as the two bickered, seemingly trying to eat each other. She coughed gently, prodding them with her tail.

"Shut up," Garnet snapped at the ish-human, hitting her friend with her walking stick.

"And here she is!" Dragon made a grand entrance, which Marion pouted at, because _he_ was the drama person.

Now, bursting into a room with an unclothed superbeing and two undergraduates having a fight is generally _not_ a good idea.

This was one of the generally times. A few things happened at once.

First, Marion got a nosebleed because he'd not expected something so fine looking to be The Weapon. In fact, he thought it was an inanimate object.

Second, Dynablade threw a few energy spheres and hid herself. Marion ducked, but Dragon lacked his drama training (if something is coming toward you and it doesn't look like roses, money or isn't part of the show, duck)

Third, Azure and Garnet, in an attempt to kick each other, deflected each other's blows with their feet, careening them into the two Katz. Don't ask how, watch Kung Fu movies.

Fourth: Urby won her nineteenth consecutive game of spider solitaire. Go Urby, it'cho birthday, uh-huh, with sprinkles! Sure, it may not seem important to you, but nineteen! Well, whaddayaknow, it's twenty now. Go me.

Now, there was currently:

One weapon of mass destruction somewhere in the room.

One Katz commander, KO'd.

One Katz thief, cowering on the ground, clutching his nose.

Two college girls lying dazed on top of the Katz commander.

One crazy author...who's listening to "I Miss You" by Blink 182. Hello there, angel from my nightmare...

What a way to start the day, eh?

* * *

"There, now it should keep together," Garnet stepped back to admire her work, "jump around or something."

Dynablade rattled her wings, flew a bit, ran a few circles around MAYA, and rolled on the floor.

"Comfortable?" Azure asked, seeing that at least they stayed on.

"Yeah," Dynablade lashed her tail a bit, stretching.

"Well, I'm going to go do something worthwhile," Garnet hoppled away. "You two can go blow something up or what."

"Is it safe now?" Dragon called from another room.

"Enough," Azure answered, putting her goggles on upside-down to see how they looked like that way.

"Why isn't she the bloodthirsty weapon the scriptures say she's supposed to be, meow?" Dragon demanded, jabbing a finger at Dynablade. "She's...uhm..."

"Tame?" Azure suggested, turning her goggles inside out.

"Yes!" Dragon ground his teeth. "She's got Sanguine in her, the most violent of all Summon Spirits, and still, she wouldn't hurt a fly!"

"She hurt you, and Garnet too," Azure pointed out, leaving Dynablade to play with the ladybug that whizzed by.

"Yes, that's true, meow," Dragon rubbed his neck, "but still, she's supposed to be tearing this place down!"

"Maybe she hasn't matured into a full personality yet," Azure shrugged, making it up as she went, "right now she's just a 'kid'. When she becomes a 'teen', then she'll get the teen angst and be more willing to blow up stuff."

"How long will that take?" Dragon brandished his scimitar.

"It depends," Azure said quickly, cowering from the blade.

There was an audible, ominous crushing noise behind them. Both turned, in that 'ho snap, there's something dangerous, isn't there' way.

Dynablade held the crushed bug in her hands, which had a lot sharper claws then before. Her eyes where a dark, bloody red, instead of the rich blue it used to be.

She cast a lazy look around the room, scouring for destructible things. Her gaze fell on Dragon and Azure, because frankly, a student and a Katz aren't really that threatening.

"Eeeei! I don't want to die!" Azure sobbed, jumping into Dragon's arms.

"Me neither, meow!" Dragon bawled, running down the hall, Dynablade gaining on them.

"Bad kitty!" Garnet yelled, hitting Dynablade with her walking stick. The superbeing fell to the ground, rolling about in pain. At least I think, I mean, she was kinda screaming a bit, man.

"Stay down!" Garnet shook her stick at her like an old lady, "you don't go chasing my friend with murderous intent, that's my job!"

"What about the guy in the cat suit?" Azure peeped.

"I don't care about him. Eat 'im for all I care."

"Now that she's stunned," Dragon dumped the blue-haired chick on the ground, "the real fun begins! Mwahameow!"

"Oh my," Azure gasped, thinking about the wrong type of thing.

"She needs her collar," Dragon hoisted her onto his back, running off. "Then...I can start getting rid of the opposition!"

* * *

"There," the Katz inventor grinned, shining the collar with a cloth. "With this, meow, she should listen to you. Try it out."

"Uh," Dragon thought of something safe for her to do, "roll over."

Dynablade flipped over on the floor.

"Well, it works. Follow me."

She stood up and walked behind him, looking like a very large, four-winged, dangerous duckling.

Dragon slinked into the room with his maps, where he tried to decide to make his entrance and make the most damage. Meanwhile, Dynablade tore some scrap paper to powder out of boredom.

"Aha!" Dragon pointed to a large dot on one of his maps, "That's it! Saddle up, everyone!" he ran down the hall, rousing his troops. "To Meltokio!"

* * *

The dog spirit ran through the streets, searching. He had to find...what was the name again...d'oh, he forgot!

And the small mob of children chasing him were not helping him, either.

He was sure about it, though. He couldn't feel Sanguine anymore as the brother he knew; now he was part of this big thing that just...was evil. He'd have to stop him.

He stopped in front of a house, looking up. Yep, she had to be here.

_Now, to get inside._

He whisped himself into a crack under the door, finding himself safely inside. Oh, the wonders of not having a solid body!

But he wouldn't enjoy that for long. Sanguine was coming, and like that one day five years...five years? That short? Well, anyway, he'd have to fight him again.

"What're you doing here?" something picked him up.

Susa yipped helplessly, trying to get a look at his captor. Red...red hair...

"I'm looking for Sheena!" Susa flailed about.

"Why?" the dood shook the poor pup, dizzying him. "Gonna possess her again?"

"Uh, yes," Susa admitted, "but you gotta hear me out! Please!" he added quickly.

Susa related the tale, or at least what he found out by peeking into Sanguine's thoughts and vision.

"So wait...there's a Katz who's going to attack us with this kitty/angel/spirit cocktail, and you're looking for Sheena because the spirit's your brother, and that's the only way we can stop 'em? I find it hard to believe..."

"I'm serious!" Susa squirmed.

"Yeah, I know," the dood gently threw him onto the ground. "Colette's gone, that's for sure. Lloyd can't stop whining about it. As for Sheena, you just missed her, she went out."

"Where?" Susa demanded, leaping.

"Shopping. Ran out of ice cream, other stuff," he scratched the back of his head.

Susa dashed off, only to run into the door because he had forgotten to make himself transparent.

The army lounged, awaiting orders. Meltokio would never see it coming!

Dragon flicked his tail happily, purring. Auburn stood by, peeling an apple (and I must say, doing a rather pathetic job)

A signal flare popped up from somewhere in the city, bringing everyone to attention.

"Attack!"

**Mr. Announcement:**  
I am going to go to school in a few days.  
School means no internet.  
No internet means no chapters, and I lose half my life.  
Just so you know.  
I will be dead for the next long time.


	12. Talky talky!

**Prepare for lots of confusion when Dynablade starts talking mmkay.**

I should have an excuse for not posting this sooner, but...really I don't. This was finished like, in 2005/early 2006. But I was a lazy person and kept editing small parts here and there.

BUT NOW YOU GET TO READ IT!

* * *

It was a bright and sunny day!

Everyone was happy!

No one expected a thing!

Which made it a perfect time to attack!

And I can't seem to be able to use anything else other than exclamation points!

"What's going on!" Dragon yelled to Auburn over the hubbub of noise his army was making during its charge to Meltokio.

"The author was having trouble with punctuation, but I think it's fixed now!" Auburn screamed.

"Oh, okay, meow!"

"Is Dynablade alright, meow?"

"She's fine! She'll fly to the square once we've upset the city!"

"Right! Just checking!"

* * *

Sheena nearly flew through the streets, trying to beat the daily traffic along the walkways. She could deal with big monsters, the huge responsibility of being Mizuho chief, but the clogged Meltokio sidewalks were something _nothing_ could deal with...sanely.

And carrying a bunch of groceries didn't help all that much, either, but she was determined to get back without spilling anything. Besides, her ice cream was in there! If that spilled...heads would roll! Funny, though, she never really had a taste for the stuff, but now she gobbled up whatever she could get her hands on.

Strange...the traffic wasn't supposed to be this bad this early...and everyone was panicking. That wasn't good.

But then again, Meltokio people would run for cover at the sight of a mouse.

"Hey!" Sheena grabbed the sleeve of one of the screaming people (who, come to think of it, was acting uncannily like a chicken with its head cut off) "What's going on?"

"Katz!" the guy shrieked, babbling. "They're attacking the city! They're blowing up buildings!"

Sheena didn't stay any longer to hear the rest, because she'd have to stash her stuff before kicking some tail. Funny, though, she hadn't heard of Katz acting warlike before. Oh well, she thought aimlessly, ducking into an alley.

**There's a first time for everything,** a voice entered her mind.

Sheena whirled, knowing that voice.

"Show yourself!"

The dog spirit existed in front of her, wagging his tail nervously.

"What do you want?" Sheena scowled, hugging her precious cargo to her chest.

"Well, here's the gist of it," Susa panted, "Y'know how Colette's gone? Well, the Katz took her, her soulsib...uhhh, Shadow, and my brother, and, and, they made this Weapon, and now they're attacking and stuff! So, like, I need a solid body to fight The Weapon, and well...you're capable, and I have a link with you, anyway."

Sheena stared at the little puppy for a beat, blinking.

"A link?"

"I drank a bit of your blood, yes. You weren't very tasty."

"Now that's just stupid."

"No, no! I'm serious!"

Suddenly, the building behind them was rooted from its spot and thrown aside. There was a gust of wind as it flew out of the way, temporarily blinding Sheena with her own hair. When she recovered, she spotted something Colette-like, but a lot bigger, a lot scarier, and a lot madder.

"**Y'rrrou!**" she growled, pointing to Sheena. "**Kille y'rrrou!**"

"Is that it?" Sheena squeaked, hiding her provisions in a corner.

"Yes!" Susa yipped, melting himself into his Crimson form, blocking Dynablade's passage.

"**Sssuzza! Dnnn't ghet in mai wayh...move!**" Dynablade snarled, grinding her?his? teeth. It was a terrible, screechy sound, one that tore eardrums. It flung a ball of energy, which Susa managed to dodge (although a bit of his fur got singed) but the alley wall wasn't as fortunate. Oh well. It was nice knowing you, wall. Have a nice time in heaven.

"What's it saying?" Sheena asked the giant gold-helmet wearing grey wolf, because she couldn't hear it properly.

"I...I don't know!" Susa grabbed Sheena by the collar, leaping over the alley in one leap.

"My ice cream!" Sheena whined helplessly, reaching.

"My guess, right now Sanguine's hunting you down 'cuz he knows about our link, but he has to push through two layers of souls, ya know?" Susa explained, ignoring Sheena's plea. "That's why he's having a hard time acting. That, and he might be...diluted, kinda? Did that make sense? 'Cuz he's buried under layers? Or maybe it has to do with the magic to put them together."

"Sure," Sheena pouted. What if that...thing...devoured, because that word fitted that monster, her ice cream! Oooh, she'd kick its ass, even if Colette was in there!

"Please fasten your seatbelts, ladies and ninjas, we're in for a landing," Susa lighted gently (cough_IMKIDDING_cough) on the ground.

"Okay," Sheena cleared her throat, dusting herself. "What now?"

"It'll be a while 'til that thing gets close," Susa pondered. "In the meantime, I need your permission -"

"Yeah, yeah, that. Go ahead," Sheena waved a hand. "Get it over with."

Susa thought again for a bit, pointing suddenly, "Strawberry truffles!"

_Strawberry truffles? Hot damn!_ Sheena turned, seeing nothing. "Wha...aoup!"

Something had forced itself into her mouth. The best way to describe it was a bullet - a very large one, but it sure was quick.

"Gwuh!"

All of a sudden she felt like vomiting, her body was freezing, she was shaking, blacking out, and besides! She'd like to see how a Meltokian would react when someone upchucked on their shoes.

Wait, no, that's just me. Oops. Won't happen again, folks.

**How are you feeling?** Susa poked her mind.

"Swell," Sheena supported herself by leaning on a lamppost, coughing.

**Sorry about that,** Susa adopted an apologetic tone, which seemed very 'sea green'. Don't ask how, watch...well, actually, no. It's like drinking that Sobe Berry Yogurt drink thing! It tastes purple, I swear! I swear on my love of Rikuu Maleur! And that's a big swear! **It's just that I have to enter your body somehow and this is the most comfortable...est way. Last time I 'clasped' with you I didn't know how to use your fighting technique, so _this_ time, I thought it would be better if I could just supply you with my powers.**

"And let me do all the work?" Sheena wobbled away from the post, her legs feeling either like a bunch of jello or wet noodles. One or the other. Or, perhaps both!

**You make me sound bad! And besides, I...egads, you've gained weight!**

"Have not!" Sheena hacked, fighting to keep her breakfast down. "You're...just...imagining things!"

**You should stop eating ice cream. Ninjas don't eat ice cream!**

Interrupting their conversation was the sound of a building being picked up.

"**Y'rrrou...dyyyih!**" Dynablade/Sanguine roared, flinging its makeshift weapon at Sheena.

"Eeeei!" Sheena yelped, trying to run. No, she wouldn't make it, the building was too big!

**Oh, make me save your sorry butt!**

The next thing she knew she was in the air, an impressive and very dizzifying length away from the projectile apartment.

"What the crap?" she blurted, trying not to look down.

**Well, since you didn't think of going upward, I had to take initiative.**

"I can jump this high?" Sheena squeaked, flapping her arms around.

**Uhhh...I can make you. But that's beside the point! Land!**

Sheena flailed about, trying to flip herself into a good position, and ended up doing a nosedive into the dirt, buried to her elbows.

**You're a shitty ninja, you know that?**

_Well, I'm not used to landing from a hundred feet in the air! Sorry!_

Dynablade grabbed her by the feet, uprooting her from the ground. "**H'vvve y'rrrou now!**"

_What now?_

**I dunno. We get beaten to a pulp, I guess.**

_Oh, joy._

"**Wh...aht now, Sssuzza?**" Sanguine sneered, choking Sheena. "**Y'rrrourrr avatarrr...not cutting ieht?**"

"Sanguine...stop this!" Susa said through Sheena, hacking.

"**Why...should Ie?**" Sanguine grinned. "**This...is...! Ourrr purrrposss, Sssuzza! To kille!**"

"Least you could do is speak properly before snuffing me out," Sheena coughed.

"Insolence!" Dynablade crushed Sheena against a wall, squeezing her like a jelly donut. Squishy squish! "How dare you speak to me like that!"

The thick soup of blood pooling into Sheena's mouth wasn't pleasant at all; it made her want to throw up again. But she decided not to puke on her captor, since it would anger it and probably bring a more painful death.

"_(Sh...Sheena!)_" Colette's voice mewed from the monster, loosening its hold. "_(You're...you're...!)_"

"I'm _what_?" Sheena worried, looking at Dynablade's face, who was ready to break into tears.

"_(Stop me!)_" Colette cried, interrupted by a "**Prepare to die!**" from Sanguine. Sheena braced herself for whatever would kill her, whether it be an energy ball or crush of her head...

It never came. Instead, there was an "**Ow! The hell! Who shot that?**"

Sheena opened her eyes, in time to see herself be flung aside by Dynablade, an arrow sticking out of one of its wings. Some distance away, a Penguiner notched another arrow to a bow.

"**Cheeky, aren't'cha?**" Sanguine sneered, leaping at her.

"My name is Myn!" the Penguiner dashed away, firing handfuls of arrows at a time. "Remember that!"

"What's going on?" Sheena asked no one, spitting.

* * *

To answer Sheena's, and, possibly, your question, here's what happened:

Some time after the Fifth Battalion was defeated, the Penguinists received a note:

_Katz are attacking Meltokio - Watch out for dangerous Weapon - Bring 63 - Meet at the square_

The note was brought by a little blue falcon.

"Sounds fishy," Raptor said around a bit of her lunch - funnily enough, a fish.

"Cree," the bird insisted.

"Well, what can we do, anyway?" Violet fussed with a flipper. "We don't have any elevator-tubes that go to Meltokio."

"Ah - you don't, but we do," the Head Penguiner waddled in.

"Well, great," Violet flapped about, "but we still don't know if we should go or not. Who knows if it's the truth?"

"Cree!" the falcon chirped, disrupted from her perch on a fish pot by a little head coming out of it.

"Bad news, mew!" Byruu squealed, her hair covering her eyes, "Meltokio's, like, dying!"

"Alright then, I'll go!" Myn waved her tie-dye hand...flipper in the air.

"Such a brave little girl," the Head Penguiner sniffed. "Makes a guy cry sometimes. So proud..."

"You're just going there because you heard of that new Drama CD that came out, right?" Byruu whispered.

"That's not the primary reason!" Myn shook the half-Katz.

"Hey, that's why I went there," the little one admitted, "but everyone was running and screaming and there was this big swarm of Katz so I thought I'd beat it, mew. Looked kinda funny. Someone should make it into a movie or something. Or at least a book."

"How 'bout a fanfiction?" Raptor suggested.

"That might work."

"Take a few Penguinists with you," the Head Penguinist called after the waddling away Myn.

"And get me a copy of that CD!" Byruu yelled.

"Where are you going?" Ruby watched as Myn slid by. (Penguins are so cute when they toboggan.)

"Oh yeah! You gotta come," Myn grabbed her via tail.

"I don't get it," Ruby yelped.

"Well, neither do I, but I guess we'll all find out soon enough," Lynn grabbed a spear, following Myn.

* * *

Sheena hobbled to her feet, helped by a hoodless brown Katz.

"I thought you were the bad guys," she coughed. "How come you're not with them?" she pointed to the army of Katz that were supporting Dynablade.

"Feh," Mr. Hoodless Katz fussed with his hair. "I'm not a Katz. But yes, they are the 'bad guys'."

"So you're a human in a cat suit?"

"...Close enough." He then proceeded to mumble, offended about something or something. Yes, I am totally aware that was unnecessarily repetitive. Shut _up_, man!

Lynn leaped over a few heads, whooping. Whenever she need a bit more altitude (it's really hard to jump over so many Katz in one leap, ya know) she'd use her spear to hop a bit by jamming it on an unfortunate's head. Not only did she go farther, hey, a Katz is down! If you did not understand that, please raise your hand.

Ruby clung to her head, whimpering. When you're being transported by this crazy chick who has a blindfold on and you've got no seat belt, I think you'd be scared too.

She landed neatly next to Sheena and Mr. Hoodless 'Katz', pausing.

"Do I know you?" she pointed to both of them.

"Not that I know of," the Hoodless 'Katz' shook his head, coughing.

"I got the kid, anyway," Lynn shook her head to get Ruby off.

"Land!" she cried, kissing the dirt.

"Perfect. We just need to wait."

"For what?"

"The last pieces," the young man in the suit answered, smiling.

* * *

"**Come back here, you little runt! I'll make you into chicken soup!**" Sanguine yowled, scrambling after Myn.

"Pity, I thought I'd get some exercise today," Myn leaped, dodging Dynablade's angry swipes. "But you're so slow, you know!"

Dynablade hissed, spreading its four wings, clearing the distance between them in one leap. "**Feh! Now...I harrrvvve...you!**"

"If you can't talk properly, you know, don't," a new voice sort-of-but-not-really sang, and a dragon, who came out of the Hoodless 'Katz's hand, punched Dynablade in the jaw.

"**Wh...what!**" it cried, flipping up. "**Who...are you?**"

"I would say 'your worst nightmare', but that's way to cliché," the dragon answered, joined by a young man with a fearsome-looking (how 'bout even 'demonic') right hand and the Hoodless 'Katz'.

"Get rid of all the others until they come," the 'Katz' told his party, bringing out a mace.

"Righto," the right-hand-man (I'm so funny) said, pulling out a sword. "This is so boring."

"We've got them!" a Desian called to Dynablade. "Let us take care of this!"

"**Yeah,**" Sanguine sneered, leaping toward Sheena. "**Why don't you come along with me, Susa? I'm having a lot more fun than you are.**"

"Stop, Sanguine!" Susa yelled, jumping out of the way, narrowly dodging Dynablade's fist.

"**I'm enjoying myself,**" it cackled, lunging. "**You would too!**"

* * *

"What's going on?" Azure flailed about, afraid of heights.

"I don't have much of a good idea, but it's to help Colette!" Lloyd panted, flapping his wings a little harder. "We're almost there!"

"Be _careful_," Azure whined, trying not to look down, but for some reason, down was so _fascinating_. "The square's just ahead. ...What's left of it."

Lloyd landed (well enough) and looked about. "Sheena?" he blurted, the only thing he could recognize.

"Lloyd!" she gasped twice at the same time while kicking away a fallen Desian. It sounds weird, I know, but Susa's saying it too.

"What's going on?" Azure repeated.

"Better ask him," Sheena pointed to the 'Katz'-man.

"Ah! You're here!" the Hoodless One herded them to where Ruby was. "Now, I'm only going to say this once, so listen up.

"That thing that's destroying everything is Dynablade, a weapon made by putting together three things: A Summon Spirit, a Chimaeracore, and an angel. Each of you has ties to one. You, the Katzinist, you're the summoner of the Spirit, therefore he has to do what you say. The student, you're the owner of the Chimaeracore, so she'll respond to you. And you, Mr. Double Sword, you're the fiancée of the angel...so if she won't warm up to you...you should get another girl."

"She will!" Lloyd snapped, shaking. "What do we have to do?"

"We've gotten rid of a lot of the distractions," 'Auburn' waved to the Penguinists and Katz fighting. "You need to get Dynablade's attention and talk to your 'part'. That'll confuse 'im, and that'll stop 'im."

"Worth a shot," Azure chewed on a nail. "Ay!" she yelled, waving her hands about. "Bad kitty! Down!"

Dynablade whirled, distracted from a Penguinist it was beating up. "**What?**"

"Bad kitty!" Azure repeated. "Didn't I tell you not to kill things?"

"You said you'd play with me!" Ruby joined in.

Dynablade was afraid now, backing up. "**S...stop!**"

"Colette!" Lloyd cried, running up to Dynablade. "I know you're in there!"

"N...no!" Dynablade screamed, spreading her wings. "I'm...I'm not any of those things!"

"What?" Azure turned to Auburn (I'm tired of calling him the Hoodless 'Katz'), jabbing a finger to her. "That! What's going on? That was so not the voice she was talking in a few moments ago!"

"Impossible," Auburn breathed.

"Uh-oh," Lynn commented, kicking at a rock (but missing, I mean, the girl's got a blindfold, man). "Am I the only one who thinks that's a bad omen?"

"That's...shit!" Auburn kicked a rock (because unlike Lynn he can see) "That's...it wasn't! That's not supposed to happen!"

"What do we do...?" Lloyd turned back. Everyone had their eyes on the Katz, except for Dynablade, who clutched her head and whined softly.

"I...don't know," Auburn bit his lip, "Try again!"

"Shadow!" Azure shouted.

"Sanguine!" Susa cried.

"It's all right," Lloyd held Dynablade's hands, preventing them from clawing her head out.

"..."

"I'm here. I'm not going to leave you..."

Dynablade had her eyes glued to the ground.

"Those words...they sound so familiar..."

"You said them to me a long time ago. Do you remember...?"

Dynablade looked up, lost in her thoughts. "Kind of..."

"At the inn...? The tower? Do you remember our conversation?"

She paused, blinking a few times. "Yes, but...it's kind of fuzzy." Her ears flattened until they almost vanished in her hair.

"It's alright. We're going to get you back to normal."

"Normal..."

He held her hands, waiting for a response. After what seemed like an age, she leaned on his shoulder, startling him.

"_(Lloyd...)_"

"...Colette?"

"_(I...I missed you, Lloyd...everything's going to be alright...right?)_"

Lloyd was about to answer when he was interrupted by ominous, booming laugh.

"Ah ha ha **haah**! How _touching_! Yes, very so! But, I'm afraid I _can't_ let you get away with my 'blade of blood' just yet, my darlings! Me-ow."

"Dragon!" Auburn brandished his mace, crackling with dark energy. "You know this is insane!"

"Oh my god, it's a crazy guy in a pink cat suit," Lynn gaped. "What...is the world coming to."

"Yes, of course I do, that's why I'm doing it, you fool!" Dragon lashed his tail. "Once I've gotten this city in ruins, I'll fuse with Dynablade and no one would dare get in my way!" then he laughed again, sounding insane, _being_ insane.

"You know fusing with two gals would...technically cause some problems, right?" Azure held up a finger.

"Sanguine did it," Lynn said.

"But he's a spirit, they don't have genders," Azure pointed out. "Shut _up_, man, I took a whole semester on this."

"But before that, my sweet," Dragon sneered, shaking a little bell that matched Dynablade's collar, which made no sound. "Dynablade..."

Her ears snapped up and she gasped. "No, no!"

"Yes, _yes_!" Dragon smiled, chuckling darkly. "You recognize this bell, don't you?"

"Get it away, get it away!" Dynablade covered her ears and shielded herself with her wings.

The bell shook again, and her struggles stopped.

"Dynablade...kill them."

* * *

...

Uh. How come when Lloyd is with Dynablade, I imagine her smaller than he is (like Colette's regular size) but I said before she was 'larger than a regular human being'? So so. How big _is_ she anyway? Does she shrink?

Oh wait. I'm the author. I should know about these things, haha.


End file.
